


One shots

by Loveandcoffeeandothersimplicities



Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-09
Updated: 2018-11-28
Packaged: 2019-03-02 17:20:44
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 107
Words: 162,318
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13322889
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Loveandcoffeeandothersimplicities/pseuds/Loveandcoffeeandothersimplicities
Summary: Just one shots for Snowbarry. (Transferred from FF.net).





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> One shots I have. If you have a prompt, leave it in the comments. XOXO

Caitlin had been abducted three days ago and she was slowly going insane. So far there was no word of a rescue team coming for her, no word that Barry was coming for her. All she could hope for was the best. She sighed as she tugged against the chain around her ankle, chaining her to the bed post.

"Still trying to break free, I see," Savitar's voice echoed around the room and she tried not to flinch.

"Still not giving up, I see," Caitlin muttered and watched as Savitar made his way to her.

"I will never give up, Caitlin, never. You belong to me," he whispered as he placed his hand against her cheek.

"I belong to no one," Caitlin hissed as she jerked her head away from his hand.

"You'll realize that's not true one day. And don't worry about how long it takes you to realize that, we have all the time in the world," Savitar said softly.

"Go to hell," Caitlin spat out but Savitar just chuckled.

"Hate to break it to you, but you're in it," he replied and Caitlin so badly wanted to throttle him.

"Leave me alone," she muttered, annoyed with the conversation. Savitar ran his thumb over her upper lip, eyes fixed on her.

"You are so beautiful, Cait, so beautiful,' he whispered.

"Don't. Call. Me. That." Caitlin ground out through clenched teeth and she watched as he smirked.

"Why? That's your name, isn't it?" Savitar challenged and Caitlin rolled her eyes.

"Only friends get to call me that," she said and she watched as Savitar's eyes clouded over with undisguised hatred.

"And of course your precious Barry," he spat.

Caitlin knew it was immature, that she was walking on borrowed time, but she couldn't help it; she smirked.

"Yes, he's my fiancé which is more than I can say for you," she replied calmly. Savitar grabbed her chin and forced her to look at him.

"I will kill him and then we'll see just how loyal you are to him," he stated and Caitlin felt fear bubble up in her stomach.

"Leave him alone," she growled and Savitar chuckled.

"I'll leave you to think about your choices," he said before kissing her on the forehead and flashing off.

Heart beating impossibly fast against her ribcage, Caitlin prayed someone would find her and soon.

Caitlin had been abducted three days ago and Barry was slowly going insane.

"Where the hell is she, Cisco?" Barry demanded as he slammed his fist down on the table. His fiancé, his love must've been so terrified but knowing her, she wouldn't want to show it.

"I don't know, Barry," Cisco murmured.

"What do you know, Cisco?" Barry asked harshly and watched as Cisco's face fell. He sighed, immediately regretful.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean that against you," he muttered apologetically and Cisco nodded his head.

"I know," he replied softly.

Harry came flying in the room, obviously on the hunt for Barry.

"Allen!" Harry shouted excitedly and Barry looked at him expectantly.

"Tell me you have some good news," Barry breathed out and Harry nodded.

"I do. I was scrolling through some of our videos and I think I found something that we overlooked the first time," he said as he pulled up one of the video feeds on their computer monitor. Barry crowded behind him to watch and saw the same video that had haunted him for the past three days.

Caitlin, locking up star labs as she was the last one to leave, (something Barry would never forgive himself for because he should've been there to make sure she got home safely), and making her way to her car. One minute she was there, the next she was gone. Quite literally.

"This isn't anything new, Harry," Barry muttered, disappointed. Harry hadn't lost his thread, however.

"Watch her hair," he said simply. Barry raised an eyebrow but complied. He watched as Harry rewound the clip and paid specific attention to Caitlin's hair. It flew around her before she vanished and Barry suddenly understood.

"God, I'm an idiot," he quietly and he was. He could quite literally slap himself for missing the biggest clue of them all that was staring him dead in the face.

'She was abducted by Savitar," he muttered and Harry looked at him in surprise.

"I was just assuming it was another speedster, how do you know it's Savitar?" Harry asked curiously and Barry shrugged.

"Only speedster who has a legitimate reason to kidnap someone that I love," he replied softly as the pieces began to fall in place.

"Look guys, I don't have time to explain it but I know where they are," he said hurriedly, getting ready to flash away.

"Take me with you," Cisco ordered and Barry looked at him unsurely.

"It's going to be dangerous," he started but Cisco held a hand up.

"Spare me, she's my best friend. And we were both idiots for not picking up on who took her, we owe it to her to have the both of us get her out of there alive," he stated firmly and Barry didn't want to waste another minute arguing with him. He nodded, grabbed Cisco, and flashed them both out of there. He only stopped running once he made it to the warehouse he had first seen Savitar at. He watched as Cisco stumbled into the wall of the warehouse and flung out an arm to steady him.

"Woah, head rush," Cisco muttered and Barry waited while he got his bearings. Once he received the all good, Barry led the way into the warehouse with Cisco filing in after him. He spotted Caitlin almost immediately, chained to some bed in the far corner.

"Caitlin?" Barry called softly and watched as her head snapped up.

"Barry?" Caitlin asked quietly.

"Barry?" Caitlin asked quietly and she couldn't quite believe he was here, that this was real. She felt the tears well up in her eyes but held them back, promising herself that if they got out of this alive, she would cry properly when she was at home, with her fiancé.

She watched as Barry raced towards her, with Cisco following closely behind. He skidded to a stop in front of her and fell to his knees, drawing her into him.

"I love you, I love you," he breathed into her neck and she laughed softly, despite the fear she felt.

"Yeah, I love her too," a voice called out and her eyes snapped up to see Savitar standing in the room with them. Barry stood up and placed himself firmly in front of her, ready for a fight.

"Barry, don't," she said in a panicked whisper.

"Shh," he murmured and she fell silent, too afraid to do anything else.

"Cisco, stay with her," Barry muttered as Savitar continued to watch them.

"I'm going to kill you, Barry, and then Caitlin and I will finally be married," Savitar called.

"You're not going to lay a finger on her ever again," Barry stated harshly.

"Cisco, make sure she doesn't watch," he added before launching himself at Savitar.

From there it was a flurry of electricity as the two speedsters battled it to the death but Cisco had listened to Barry's rule and placed himself in front of Caitlin.

"Eyes on me, Cait," he said soothingly as he looked at her. She turned her eyes, round with fear, onto him and stared at him.

Caitlin realized Cisco was doing his best to block her line of sight but she could still hear, something he picked up on. He quickly placed his hands tightly over her ears and she leaned her head into his body, keeping her eyes firmly shut.

"You're too slow, Savitar," Caitlin heard Barry hiss and knew that Cisco's hands weren't doing the trick. She heard the snapping of bones and realized what happened. Releasing a shuddering exhale she peeked around Cisco and saw Savitar's lifeless body on the ground. Gasping for air, she looked up at Barry who was running towards her.

"Hey, hey, eyes on me," he soothed as he vibrated the cuff off her leg. Caitlin was in shock and she wasn't sure if it was because of Savitar's death or the fact that she was finally free. She couldn't help it as the first tear fell over, followed by a second and third. Barry caught them with his thumbs before wrapping her in his arms.

"You're safe now, Cait," he promised soothingly. Safe. What a glorious word to hear. Smiling slightly, she kissed Barry's chest and looked up at him.

"Take me home, please," and, damn, had she ever seen Barry move faster than he did in that moment.

Author's note: Ally! This one is for you! Hope you enjoy! Remember, if you have a one shot you'd like to see, you can request it in the comments or on my tumblr.


	2. Chapter 2

Caitlin looked at her reflection in the mirror, at the dress she was holding up to her body and sighed in frustration as she threw it to the ground.

"I have nothing to wear!" Caitlin ground out in frustration.

'What was wrong with that dress?" Cisco asked for the umpteenth time.

"It didn't look good, Cisco," Caitlin muttered and watched as Cisco sighed.

"Caitlin, they all looked good. Stop being so nervous, it's just Barry," he replied softly and she closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose.

Of course he would say that, he didn't understand why this date was so important. It was her first date after Zoom had released her, her first date after Ronnie died. She wanted it to go well.

Cisco stood up and placed his hands on her shoulders, making eye contact with her reflection in the mirror.

"Listen to me, Caitlin, that guy is crazy about you. That's not going to change based on what you're wearing," he said softly. Caitlin stared at him. She knew deep down he was right. Sighing, she nodded her head.

"Wear the black one," Cisco encouraged before leaving her to get changed.

After he left, she changed into the simple black dress, before adding heels. Her makeup was already done and she only needed to add a bit of volume to her curls. Once she was reasonably satisfied with how she looked, she made her way out into her living room and spotted Cisco sitting on her couch. He looked up at her arrival.

"Beautiful," he smiled softly and she nodded her head gratefully.

"Thank you," she murmured.

"Remember, it's just Barry. A guy who finally worked up the nerve to ask out the girl he's liked since forever," Cisco stated.

"Don't over think things," he added. Just then, there was a soft knock on her door and Catlin jerked her head towards it.

"I'll get it," Cisco said with a soft smile before making his way towards the door.

After letting Barry in, she looked at him with a smile.

"Hello, Barry," she murmured.

Barry took in her appearance before smiling.

"Cait, you look beautiful," he said and she blushed.

"Thank you," she replied softly.

He handed her the flowers he had in his hand and she took them, smelling their fragrance.

"Thank you Barry, they're beautiful," she hummed.

"Alright, kids, have a good time tonight. Barry, get her home at a reasonable hour and remember, no funny business," Cisco ordered before showing himself out.

Caitlin rolled her eyes fondly.

"Why do I feel like I just got warned by an older brother?" Barry asked worriedly and Caitlin laughed.

"Trust Cisco to make an under the table threat," she agreed lightly.

Barry held out his hand.

"Shall we?" Barry asked softly and Caitlin nodded, lacing their fingers together.

"Let's go," she sighed happily before locking up her apartment and walking out. Once they made it outside, she spotted a car.

"I thought you didn't have one?" Caitlin asked in confusion and Barry shook his head.

"I don't, I borrowed it from Joe," he replied with a sheepish grin and she nodded her head.

"So no flashing us there tonight? Thanks." Caitlin laughed and Barry nodded his head

"Figured you wouldn't like if I set your dress on fire tonight," he joked.

"You figured right," she agreed and he smiled at her.

After he held the door open for her, she slid into his car and waited for him to join her.

"Where are we going?" Caitlin asked curiously but Barry shook his head.

"That's for me to know and you to find out," he replied with a chuckle and she knew better than to question him further so simply sat back and enjoyed the car ride. It was filled with talk and laughter and she felt herself relaxing significantly. Cisco was right, it was just Barry, the guy she had been crazy about. She shouldn't have felt like it would've been awkward; the two had never made their friendship awkward before.

Once they made it to their destination, Caitlin looked around and realized they were in a park on the edge of the city. She smiled happily as Barry walked around to her side of the car and offered her a hand to help her out.

"Stay here," he murmured before walking to the trunk and popping it open.

She watched him curiously as he pulled out a basket and a blanket.

"Are we having a picnic?" Caitlin asked excitedly and he nodded his head.

"That would be correct," he agreed and she smiled warmly.

"A picnic sounds great," she replied and took the hand he was offering to her.

The pair walked a little bit to a secluded spot and he threw out the blanket before they settled on it.

"What's for dinner?" Caitlin asked and watched as Barry opened the basket.

"I figured we could just do sandwiches and snacks," he said and she nodded her head.

"Sounds good to me," she replied and began eating the sandwich he offered her. The two spent the first part of the meal in comfortable silence, not needing to fill it with endless chatter.

After they finished, Barry looked at her.

"Thanks for agreeing to go on a date with me, Cait," he murmured and she smiled.

"You're welcome. You have no idea how long I've been wanting to go out with you," she said softly and he smiled hesitantly.

"I may have an idea because I've been wanting to ask you for a long time," he replied and she felt like her heart could burst.

"What took you so long, Allen?" Caitlin asked teasingly and he laughed quietly before sobering up.

"I just thought you needed time to heal with everything from Ronnie and Jay," he explained and she nodded her head appreciatively.

"Thank you, for knowing me," she said and he smiled.

"You're welcome," he said.

Barry glanced up at the sky and, after looking at him curiously, Caitlin followed his lead and gasped.

There were thousands of stars lighting up the sky.

"You don't get a view like this in the city," she uttered and he shook his head.

"Definitely not," he agreed warmly.

"How'd you find this place?" Caitlin asked curiously and he looked at her.

"After my mom died," he began quietly, "I needed a place to escape to and Joe showed me this place. It was like my own personal sanctuary when things got too tough to handle."

She smiled warmly at him.

"Thank you for showing me," she said softly.

Barry looked at her, red blush tainting his cheeks.

"Cait?"

"Hmm?"

"Can I kiss you?"

Caitlin felt her heart flutter against her ribcage and nodded her head.

He leaned in and placed his hands gently on her cheeks, cradling her head in his hands. Then, ever so gently, brushed his lips against hers' and she felt it in her toes. Sighing happily, she leaned into the kiss. When they broke apart, he pressed his forehead against hers' and smiled.

Caitlin couldn't help but laugh.

"What?" Barry asked curiously.

"I just realized we broke the rule of 'no funny business'", she said softly and Barry laughed, too.

"Oops," he replied but she really didn't have it in her to care. She stole on more kiss, feeling completely at peace with her life for the first time in a while.

Author's note: Lucyy, here you go!


	3. Chapter 3

The final boarding call sounded for Caitlin's flight and she stood up. She may not be using her powers anymore but she was still Killer Frost and she needed to get far away from Central City and those she had hurt. As she made her way to the boarding area, she glanced around the airport one last time. This would be the last time she saw this airport for who knew how long; she wasn't sure when she was coming back, if she ever was. Sighing, she handed her ticket to the inspector and waited patiently for her to scan it.

"Caitlin, stop! Stop!" Caitlin heard someone shout and turned around to see Barry rushing towards her, quite literally elbowing past people with hasty apologies thrown out as he went. Wondering what on earth he wanted her for, she turned to the lady and smiled politely.

"Can I take my ticket back? I have some unfinished business apparently, I'll be right back," she said and was relieved when the ticket was placed in her hand without further argument. She hitched her purse up her shoulder and ducked out of the line, murmuring apologies as she went. When she reached Barry, she noticed the look of anxiety on his face and sighed.

"Barry, what are you doing here?" Caitlin asked.

"You're making a mistake, Cait," Barry said fiercely and she raised an eyebrow.

"Enlighten me," she drawled out and Barry nodded his head.

"You're running away, Cait, and that's not going to solve anything. And, if it had, do you really think leaving without a goodbye wasn't going to hurt?" Barry demanded and she shrugged her shoulder.

"It's better this way," Caitlin replied simply and Barry rolled his eyes.

"Better for who? For you? Because it's not better for anyone else," Barry stated and Caitlin sighed.

"Don't make this more difficult than it has to be," she whispered, wishing her heart wasn't bleeding at the idea of leaving her team.

"We're family, Cait. That means we stick together," Barry emphasized and she shook her head.

"Barry, we haven't been a family in a long time," she laughed humorlessly but Barry was adamant.

"Yes we have. Just because we've been divided doesn't make it any less true," he replied stubbornly.

"For heaven sake's, Barry, I've hurt you. I've hurt all of you," she said softly, refusing to believe that had been forgotten so easily.

"Caitlin, we've all made mistakes," he said gently but she was stubborn.

"Not like this," she muttered and blinked back the tears as her heart thumped unevenly in her chest.

He placed his hand on her shoulder and squeezed comfortingly.

"You weren't in control of the decisions you were making and no one holds that against you," he promised and Caitlin closed her eyes.

How she wished she could believe him but she knew the destruction she had caused, seen the fear in everyone's eyes as they tried to stop her.

Before she could get a word out, Barry spoke up.

"Where are you going?" Barry asked quietly.

"My mom has a cabin in Cincinnati and I was going to spend some time there, figure out my next move," she muttered.

"Figure out your next move here, with us, with me," he finished softly and she looked at him.

"Barry…" she breathed out but he held a hand up to silence here.

"Look Caitlin, it's been a crazy year, we can't deny that. But, do you know what scared me more than anything?" Barry asked and Caitlin shook her head.

"Savitar manipulating you and convincing you to work with him. I had no idea what he was doing to you, no idea if you were even remotely safe," he murmured and Caitlin looked at him.

"But Iris…" she trailed off and Barry shrugged his shoulder.

"Is not you," he said gently and Caitlin couldn't believe this was how their conversation was going.

"I'm….confused," she settled on the word as she looked at him and he chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly.

"Yes, Iris held my heart at one point. However, someone else came in and knocked it out of her grip," he murmured and Caitlin didn't dare believe what he was saying, not yet.

"Barry, you've been in love with her since you learned the definition of love," she muttered and was surprised to see him shaking his head.

"A very different love than the one I feel for you," he said softly.

"Look Caitlin, you and I have been through too much for it to end like this. Kidnappings, meta humans, powers, the list could go on. Every time I come back from a mission bruised and bloody, who's there to shout at me to not be so stupid the next time? You. Who's also there, willing to bandage me up? You. It's always been you and once I took off my Iris blinders, I couldn't believe how stupid I had been to not notice it before," he said softly.

Caitlin blinked back tears for a second time in less than five minutes and she tried so desperately to not let her emotions drag her under.

Barry placed his hand against her cheek and smiled softly.

"Please, Cait, I am begging you: don't leave me. Don't leave us. Don't let our story end this way, not when we have so much to learn about each other," he whispered. Caitlin hesitated one more second longer before nodding her head.

"Alright," she agreed softly, knowing that he was right. She couldn't run away from the mess she had created, not when he was giving her chance to fix it, alongside him. She smiled hesitantly at him and was pleased when he returned it.

"Come on, let's get your things and I'll call the airport in Cincinnati once your luggage has arrived there and arrange for them to ship it back to us," he murmured and she nodded her head before walking back to the ticket inspector and handing over her boarding pass.

"I won't be needing this anymore," she said softly and the woman just nodded before turning her attention on the next customer.

Sighing happily, Caitlin made her way back to Barry and laced their fingers together, before smiling.

She wasn't sure what the future would bring, but for once, she was excited to find out.

Author's note: Snowcaitlin, for you! I hope you enjoy. I've got a few other prompts to get to but I'm writing them in the order I receive them and also paying attention to my other stories. If you have yet to read them, check them out if you wish! Remember, I accept prompts in the comments or on my tumblr (adancethroughhell), just follow me and shoot me a message!


	4. Chapter 4

Caitlin felt someone placing a kiss against her cheek and opened one eye before smiling.

"Good morning, Mr. Allen," she said softly.

"Good morning, Mrs. Allen," he replied and she laughed warmly. How good it felt to hear that.

Just then she heard soft feet pattering across the floor and knew she had mere seconds to prepare herself. Sitting up, she opened her arms widely and smiled.

"Mama!" Olivia shouted excitedly and she laughed.

"Hello, little one," she murmured as the girl launched herself into her arms. Caitlin hugged her back tightly, smiling at Barry as she did so.

"I'm hungry." Olivia said and Caitlin couldn't help but chuckle. She had definitely inherited her father's passion for food.

"How about we get some food in you before getting you ready for your day with Uncle Cisco?" Caitlin asked and Olivia nodded excitedly.

"Okay!" Olivia trilled and Caitlin looked at Barry who was smiling warmly at them.

"Let's go then, sweet pea," Barry murmured before standing up. Caitlin and Olivia followed suit.

Olivia held out both of her hands expectantly and her parents each took one and the three made their way down the stairs and into the kitchen.

Once there, they set Olivia up with her favorite book before preparing breakfast.

Barry made sure to get the coffee going as Caitlin started throwing the ingredients for French toast together. It wasn't long before their kitchen had a delicious smell circling around it.

Once the food was ready and on plates, Barry brought it all to the table as Caitlin poured the coffee, stealing a sip and smiling at how strong it was. Her husband definitely knew her.

After they were seated at the table, Olivia began talking about her second grade class with enthusiasm.

"Oliver asked me to sit with him at lunch yesterday," she said excitedly and Caitlin glanced up at Barry who had gone pale.

"Who's Oliver?" Barry asked and Caitlin couldn't help but laugh slightly at the fear coloring his tone.

"He's the nicest boy in my class!" Oliva squealed and Barry frowned.

"And do you like him?" Barry asked and Olivia nodded.

"Yep! He gave me his chocolate pudding," she answered and Barry sighed deeply. Smiling slightly, Caitlin intervened.

"That was very nice of him," she agreed before looking at her daughter's empty plate.

"Liv, why don't you put your plate in the sink and then go get ready for Uncle Cisco? He'll be here soon," she said and Olivia nodded.

"Okay, mama," she said before bouncing up, depositing her plate in the sink, and running off to go get ready. Caitlin glanced at Barry who was still frowning.

"You okay, babe?" Caitlin asked softly and he shook his head.

"Stupid Oliver has game," he muttered and Caitlin let out a peal of laughter.

"Sweetheart, they're seven. It's completely innocent," she assured but Barry shook his head.

"She's not allowed to date anyone until she's thirty. Minimum." Barry stated.

Caitlin rolled her eyes. "Whatever you say, dear."

She got up then, leaving Barry to his grumbling, and loaded their own plates into the dishwasher.

When she was finished, she made her way back to Barry and placed a kiss on his head.

"Are we still on for our plans for today?" Caitlin asked and he nodded.

"Yes. We get to spend the majority of the day together before picking up Olivia and heading to Joe's for dinner. Iris and Eddie will be there, too," he said and she smiled. She loved the fact that they still saw Joe every couple of weeks. He had been the one who walked her down the aisle and had accepted her into his family with no questions asked. Plus, he was absolutely smitten with Olivia.

"Sounds good," she murmured. Just then the doorbell rang and she looked up.

"Cisco's here," she said and Barry nodded as he got up to let him in.

"Where's my favorite goddaughter?" Cisco asked excitedly and Caitlin smiled.

"Liv, Uncle Cisco is here," she called up the stairs and watched as she come thundering down them.

"Walk," Caitlin said uselessly and laughed as Olivia slowed her pace on the last stair.

"Uncle Cisco!" Olivia cried before throwing herself at him, Cisco returning the hug enthusiastically.

"Why don't you tell Uncle Cisco about your boyfriend," Barry grumbled. Cisco's eyes bugged out.

"You have a boyfriend? But you're not allowed to date until you're thirty," he said sternly and Caitlin giggled. Olivia laughed.

"He's not my boyfriend, he just gave me his chocolate pudding," she verified.

"That was nice," Cisco said but he still looked unhappy about it.

"You guys better get going," Caitlin sad and Cisco nodded his head.

"Let's go, young one," Cisco replied as he held out his hand for Olivia to take, which she did excitedly, talking a mile a minute the whole time. Caitlin laughed as she shut the door softly before turning to Barry, who wrapped his arms around her.

"I love you," he murmured and she brushed her nose against his.

"I love you too," she replied softly.

Caitlin didn't know how she got so lucky, to be granted with this beautiful family, but she wouldn't change one thing about her life. She knew Olivia absolutely adored her parents and them her. She and Barry loved each other deeply and without question. She felt completely content with her life.

Smiling, she looked at Barry.

"How do you feel about adding to our family?" Caitlin asked softly.

"Really?" Barry asked excitedly and Caitlin nodded her head.

"Yes, it'd be nice to give Olivia a sibling now that's she old enough for one," she replied and Barry's eyes lit up.

"I love you," he murmured before swinging her into his arms and flashing them up the stairs and into their bedroom, where they didn't emerge until it was time to pick up Olivia.

Author's note: Anon, this one is for you! Hope you liked the domestic snowbarry! Remember, if you have a prompt, ask me in the comments or my tumblr! (Also, when your word document changes the word snowbarry. Stupid word document). And apparently, I cannot type to save my life. I've fixed the author's note three times now. It should be good finally and if not, OH WELL.


	5. Chapter 5

Caitlin wasn't even sure what they were arguing about anymore, hadn't been sure for the past ten minutes. All she knew was she was tired of going around in circles.

"God Caitlin, would you just stop talking for a moment?" Barry yelled and Caitlin felt her anger bubble up the surface.

"No, because you're not even listening to reason!" Caitlin shouted back equally as loud.

"I don't get why you won't even consider letting me out onto the field with you!" Caitlin exclaimed and watched as Barry rolled his eyes exasperatedly.

"I told you a million times, it's too dangerous," he said in annoyance and it was Caitlin's turn to roll her eyes.

"I'm a big girl Barry, I can look after myself," she snapped.

"Can you though?" Barry retaliated and she narrowed her eyes.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Caitlin demanded angrily and Barry shrugged his shoulders.

"Nothing, just that you always seem to get hurt out on missions or get yourself kidnapped," he snapped and Caitlin felt as if the air had been knocked out of her.

In a voice of forced calmness, she replied. "I believe the two times I got kidnapped were because of you."

And she knew that was a low blow, which was uncalled for, but she couldn't help it. She was too angry to stop now.

Barry stared at her. "I cannot believe you just threw that in my face."

She shifted uncomfortably, trying to decide if she should do damage control but she didn't get the opportunity to do so.

"You know, I really hate you at times," Barry said quietly and Caitlin froze. Yes, they had been fighting more lately, yes the arguments were getting bigger but Caitlin knew it was due to the stress Barry was feeling. Knew that his mother's death anniversary was coming up and that was always a tricky time to navigate through. However, he had never said those words to her before. She gulped as he saw him open his mouth.

"Cait…" he began, but she shook her head.

"Get out," she said quietly, anger and hurt alike coursing through her.

He stared at her before reaching out a hand to her but she pulled away from him.

"I said, get out!" Caitlin screamed and Barry hung his head before following her demand. He shut the door to her apartment softly, the fight apparently drained out of him. She wish she could say the same. She stood rooted to the spot, so mad, and for a moment she didn't know what to do. She stared at her closed door for several minutes, trying to calm her erratically beating heart but it was no good. She needed to do something to calm herself down. Sighing, she snagged her keys off her counter and left her apartment, hoping a drive would clear her head.

Barry sighed as he ran through the city. He didn't know what was wrong with him. What on earth had possessed him to say those unforgivable words to his girlfriend? He didn't mean them, not for a second. He knew flowers and an apology weren't going to be enough to sort this out. Sighing, he continued running to the cemetery, a place that had always helped clear his mind. Once he got there, he stopped at his parents' graves and sat down.

"Mom, Dad, I messed up," he croaked out and began explaining what happened.

"And then, I told her I hate her which is not even true. I love her more than I can express. She's the only one who keeps me sane during times of stress," he muttered as he ran a weary hand over his face. Even though he was talking to concrete, even though he knew he wouldn't get a response, it always made him feel better. As if his parents were still there with him, showing him the way and helping him to make the right decisions. After staying for another solid hour, he got up and left, murmuring he'd be back soon.

This time when he ran, his feet took him back to Caitlin's apartment. Standing outside of it with so much regret, he hesitantly knocked on the door.

"Caitlin, sweetheart, can you let me in?" Barry asked softly and waited. No answer. He knocked again.

"I know you're mad and you have every right to be, just please let me in so I can fix this," he said. Still no answer. Sighing, he pressed his forehead against the door.

"I'll wait out here for however long it takes you to open the door. I'm not going anywhere, baby," he murmured and planted himself firmly on the ground, determined to wait for her so he could attempt to make things right.

About an hour later, he got a call from an unknown number. Sighing, he answered it.

"Hello?"

"Is this Barry Allen?" A female voice responded.

"Yes, who is this?" Barry replied politely.

"This is Maggie, I work at Central City hospital."

Barry's heart stopped as he griped the phone tighter.

"W-what can I do for you?" Barry asked, worry coiling tightly in his stomach.

"I called you because you're registered as Caitlin Snow's primary contact," Maggie began.

Barry felt his blood run cold.

"What happened?" Barry whispered.

"I'm afraid there's been an accident, we really need you here," Maggie said.

"I'm on my way," Barry said before disconnecting the call and flashing to the hospital. Once he got to the outside of it, he slowed down and ran into it at a normal pace, heart thumping madly in his chest.

He skidded to a stop at the receptionist desk.

"I'm here for Caitlin Snow," he exclaimed breathlessly.

"Barry Allen?" The woman replied and he nodded his head.

"I'm Maggie, we spoke on the phone," she said. "Come with me," she added gently and led him into a waiting room a little to their left.

"What's going on, w-where's Caitlin?" Barry stuttered out.

"As of now, she's in surgery. Let me tell you what happened," Maggie said quietly and Barry listened to her as she explained that Caitlin had been in a car wreck. She had lost control of the car and it had spun out before flipping her over, knocking her unconscious. Her shoulder had dislocated upon impact, along with her wrist cracking. She also had multiple cuts and bruises all over her body and some head trauma. Barry gulped.

"Is she going to be okay?" Barry whispered.

"You should know her heart stopped for about a minute before they got her to surgery," Maggie said and Barry felt as if he was going to collapse. He grabbed onto Maggie's arm to steady himself.

"Oh my god," he muttered, unable to comprehend what he was being told.

"It's okay, they got it going again and from what I know, there's been no complications during the surgery so far. She should be out in about half an hour; we've already got her room ready for her. She'll need to stay with us until she gains consciousness and then we'll need to provide supervision until the doctor says otherwise," Maggie stated and Barry nodded his head.

"I'll take you to her room when she's brought in there. Do you have any questions?" Maggie asked softly but Barry shook his head. He was in shock.

"N-no, thank you," he muttered and went to go sit down.

Forty five minutes later, Maggie tapped on his shoulder gently.

"I can take you there now, Mr. Allen," she said and he stood up, stumbling over his feet as he did so. She steadied him before leading the way.

Once they got there, Maggie held open the door and then jerked her head back to the desk.

"I'll be right down the hall if you need anything," she said quietly and he nodded his head absentmindedly, eyes already fixed on Caitlin. The door shut softly behind him and he walked a little further into the room and released a shuddering exhale.

He didn't recognize Caitlin, not with all the bruised skin. Easing down in the seat next to her, he kissed her forehead gently.

"Hey baby, it's me," he said softly.

"God, Cait, I'm so sorry. I should've been there," he whispered as the first tear fell, then another.

"You've got to wake up so I can spend the rest of my life making it up to you," he added and stared at her.

"I'm not going anywhere," he finished quietly before holding her hand.

Two days passed and all Barry could do was worry. What if she didn't wake up? What if there was some form of memory loss from her head trauma? The what if's kept swirling around in his head, leaving him on edge.

On the third day, he felt her hand twitch inside his and looked up eagerly.

"Caitlin?" Barry asked softly and watched as her eyes scrunched together.

"Baby, can you hear me?" Barry whispered and watched as her eyes blinked opened. She stared at him and him her, unsure of what was going through her head.

"You're a jerk, Barry Allen," she muttered and Barry's face split into a watery grin.

"I know," he whispered as he run his thumb over her forehead soothingly.

"God, I've missed you," he murmured gently and she smiled as much as she could.

"I'm sorry about our fight," she muttered and he hushed her.

"You have absolutely nothing to be sorry about, sweetheart. It was entirely my fault. If you just promise to never scare me like this again, I promise to spend every day making it up to you," he said and she closed her eyes before smiling.

"Sounds good," she said softly and he kissed her forehead.

He knew he had a long way to go before he could forgive himself for what he said but the fact that she was willing to forgive him was a step in the right direction. And that was good enough for him.

Author's note: Ally! Here you go! Hope you liked it. Remember, leave a prompt in the comments if you want and I'll try to get to it. I have one more to get to and then I'll be all caught up.


	6. Chapter 6

Ronnie had come back and Caitlin wasn't sure what to feel. Yes, she had missed him terribly but so many things had changed since he had been gone. She had been helping Barry and Cisco bring in meta humans, had been helping making the city a safer place for everybody. Smiling slightly at that thought, she walked into Star Labs and into the cortex.

"I come with coffee," she said and everybody's heads snapped up to look at her.

"You're a life saver, Cait," Barry said as he walked over to her and took his coffee. He smiled after taking a sip.

"Thank you, Caitlin," Cisco said as he too took his cup. After everyone had got their coffee, Ronnie included, they all went back to discussing their latest plan for their attack on the meta human who was currently wreaking havoc on the city.

"I think we need to plan an ambush when he's least expecting it," Caitlin said and everyone looked at her in surprise.

"If we attack him when he's not expecting it, we have the upper hand," Caitlin added and watched in amusement as Barry chuckled.

"You're diabolical," he said and Caitlin laughed quietly.

Ronnie watched the interaction and felt something unfamiliar bubble in his stomach. He had never seen anyone make Caitlin laugh like that besides him and it didn't sit well with him. When he came back he had expected everything to go back to normal. How wrong he had been.

Caitlin was surprised to see him, so surprised it left him feeling a little unsure of himself. He had expected her to come running back into his arms and for them to pick up where they left off. He hadn't expected her to develop close relationships with anyone other than Cisco. Especially not with Barry.

Barry. How interesting was it that the name alone could cause jealously to flare up inside of him.

He had been watching their interactions over the past couple of days and, while they were just friends, even he couldn't deny how close they were. He had heard from Cisco that she had been kidnapped by a man named Leonard Snart and while that had left him angry, it wasn't anything compared to Barry's anger.

He had went into a rage and had done everything to ensure that she would be brought home safely and unscathed. He wasn't sure what Barry was playing at but he hated it. He watched as the pair continued to laugh and talk over their cups of coffee and felt his irritation grow. He and he alone used to be the only one who could make Caitlin laugh like that. Sighing, he took a sip of his coffee to calm himself down and tried to listen to their plans about catching their meta human without letting his jealousy control him.

"Maybe I could act as a distraction for our meta human and then you could plan your attack?" Caitlin asked and Ronnie's head snapped up.

"Absolutely not," both men said harshly and they looked at each other, with Caitlin looking back and forth between them.

"Come on, guys. It makes absolute sense to do it that way," Caitlin tried but Ronnie opened his mouth to protest. Just as he got ready to say why this plan was a bad idea, Barry beat him to it.

"Cait, no. I will not have you putting yourself in danger for a meta human," he reiterated and Caitlin sighed.

"Fine, but if your plan goes south, don't say I didn't try to help," she warned and Barry chuckled.

"Deal," he agreed. Ronnie watched as Caitlin smiled warmly at her friend and he had to remind himself that's all they were. Friends. It still didn't ease the jealously coursing through him.

"Caitlin, can I talk to you for a moment?" Ronnie asked abruptly and she turned to him.

"Sure," she murmured and followed him out of the cortex. She waited patiently for him to gather his thoughts.

Sighing, he began talking. "I was thinking that now that I'm back it's time you and I returned back to our lives. What do you think about leaving with me?"

He watched as she frowned and knew what her answer would be before she even opened her mouth.

"Ronnie," she began, "my life is here. My home is here, with my family."

"I can be your family, Cait," he said and she shook her head softly.

"Too much has happened since you've been gone. You can't just expect me to stop everything I'm doing," she pleaded.

"Is it because of Barry?" Ronnie couldn't help but ask.

"Barry and I are just friends," Caitlin said with a frown and Ronnie chuckled humorlessly.

"For now," he muttered and Caitlin's frown grew.

"Look Cait, you two are close. Anybody can see that. I remember when I was the only one who used to be able to make you laugh like that," Ronnie continued, hating himself for saying these things to her but also needing to address his jealously.

"Ronnie," Caitlin breathed out but he shook his head.

"No, it's cool," he muttered.

"I knew this would happen one day. You'd get close with another guy, even if he's just a friend and I wouldn't be able to do anything about it because I've been gone too long," he added and sighed as he rubbed a hand over his face.

"I'm sorry I've been gone for so long," he said and it was Caitlin's turn to sigh.

"So am I," she murmured and he could hear the pain and regret in her voice. Pain from missing him so much, regret from moving on. He nodded his head.

"Well, I'm not sure what else there is left to say then," he said softly and she looked at him.

"Ronnie…" she began but he shook his head.

"It's fine Cait, honestly." Ronnie promised even though it was like a knife turning in his gut. He knew this was inevitable.

"Let's get back in there," he murmured and she stared at him for a long moment before nodding his head.

They walked back in and he spotted Barry watching her in concern and sighed.

Yes, things had definitely changed.

Author's note: Heth, for you! Enjoy!


	7. Chapter 7

"Caitlin, look at me," Barry murmured gently and she locked her eyes on his.

"Should we be doing this?" Caitlin whispered before biting her lip. She was uncertain about if they were about to make the biggest mistake of their lives and ruin their friendship.

Barry pushed her hair back soothingly and kissed her forehead.

"Do you trust me?" Barry asked gently and Caitlin nodded her head without hesitation.

"I do," she replied with conviction.

"Then trust me to take care of you," he said softly and she took a deep, steadying breath.

"Okay," she agreed before they molded into one, limbs becoming entangled with each other.

It was the best night Caitlin could ever remember having and her heart soared as Barry took her to new levels. Smiling contentedly once he brought her back down, she nestled into him.

"That was amazing," she breathed and he hummed in agreement.

"I know," he murmured before planting kisses all over her face; first at her forehead, then at both of her cheeks, onto the corner of her lips, finally ending at her lips. She grinned.

"Sleep now, Cait," he murmured and she snuggled further into his arms before drifting off.

When she woke up, she glanced over her shoulder to an empty side of the bed and frowned. She knew Barry had to leave early to get to the police station, he had said so the night before but it still stung to know he left without waking her up. Sighing, she let go of the worries and got out of bed before getting ready for her day at Star Labs.

Once she arrived, she spotted everyone in the cortex, including Barry and Iris, who were holding hands. Heart beating at a faster pace, she walked in and looked quizzically at them.

"What's going on?" Caitlin asked softly.

"We talked things over this morning at breakfast and decided to give our relationship another try!" Iris said enthusiastically and Caitlin felt her heart stop. Not because she was in love with Barry, not because she felt anything towards him, not really. No, because they had a one night stand the night before and now they're friendship was going to be challenged, especially because the two people standing in front of her had got back together and Caitlin didn't know where that was going to leave her and Barry's' friendship. Painting a smile on her face, she looked at Barry.

"Congratulations, you guys," she said softly and Barry looked at her.

"Thank you," he murmured and she wasn't sure, but she could've sworn she heard a hint of regret in his tone. Regret for what, she didn't know. Smile still firmly in place, she made her way to her computer and sat down, pulling up the latest medical results of Barry and busied herself by looking them over.

About an hour later, when it was just Barry and her left in the cortex, she heard Barry come stand behind her.

"Caitlin, can we talk?" Barry murmured and Caitlin took a breath before turning around.

"Congratulations about you and Iris," she said softly.

"I'm sorry, it just sort've happened," he mumbled but she shook her head.

"Nothing to apologize for," she said lightly, "I get it. You two love each other."

Barry frowned.

"But after last night…" he said but Caitlin interrupted him.

"Last night was no big deal, Barry. Honestly. And besides, it's not as if we're the ones who love each other. You and Iris deserve one another," she said and she wasn't sure if there was a little bitterness in her tone but she worked extra hard to conceal in case there was.

Glancing at her watch, she sighed. "I've got to go. Enjoy your night with Iris."

She stood up and walked out, ignoring his quiet protests as she went.

Once she got back to her apartment, she looked around. Knowing she had mere hours before Barry or Cisco called her, she packed up her things before getting in her car and driving.

Where she was headed, she had no idea. But anything was better than staying in Central City where she had made a huge mess of things. Without looking back once, she kept driving well passed the city limits.

Three years later

"Bye, have a good day!" Caitlin called over her shoulder as she and the little girl made their way out of the coffee shop, Caitlin taking a much needed sip of her coffee and the girl munching her cookie excitedly.

"Mommy, thank you!" The girl squealed and Caitlin laughed.

"Emily, don't talk with your mouth full," she reprimanded gently. Emily smiled guiltily as she continued eating her treat and held out her hand for her mother to take. Caitlin grasped it as they continued walking.

Once Emily had finished her cookie, she smiled up at her mother.

"That was good, mommy," she said and Caitlin looked down at her before laughing.

"Sweetheart, you've made a mess. Come here," she said gently as she pulled out a wet wipe and began wiping down her daughter's face where she had smeared chocolate everywhere.

"There, good as new," she said and Emily giggled.

"Caitlin?" Caitlin glanced up at the voice and was startled to see Barry looking at her dumbfounded.

"Barry?" Caitlin asked and his eyes looked between her and Emily.

"What are you doing in Starling City?" Caitlin asked.

"Came to help Oliver out with something. What are you doing in Starling City?" Barry demanded and she shrugged a shoulder nonchalantly.

"I live here," she said softly and he nodded.

"This is where you came to," he muttered.

"I'm surprised it's taken me three years to find you here," he added with a frown but Caitlin smiled tightly.

"It's a big city, I'm not that surprised," she replied. His eyes zeroed in on the little girl who was hiding behind Caitlin's leg shyly.

"And who's this?" Barry asked kindly and Emily looked away.

"Emily, say hello," Caitlin murmured.

"Hi," Emily said shyly before going back to hugging her mother's leg.

"Hello, Emily," Barry said and looked quizzically at Caitlin.

Caitlin sighed, not seeing any way around this.

"Emily's my daughter," she murmured and Barry blinked.

"Who's the lucky man?" Barry asked softly and Caitlin shrugged her shoulders.

"Someone I once knew," she replied lightly before feeling Emily tug on her skirt.

She looked down. "Yes, baby?"

Emily held her arms out and Caitlin bent down and scooped her up, resting her against her hip. Emily looked at Barry momentarily before pushing her head in the crook of her mother's neck.

"She has beautiful, green eyes," he stated and Caitlin felt her cheeks grow warm.

"They look like mine," he added and raised an eyebrow at her.

"You're not the only one in the world with green eyes, Barry," Caitlin muttered.

Barry nodded his head. "That's true."

"Mommy, I want to go to the park now," Emily's muffled voice sounded against her neck but Caitlin had had three years' practice at understanding what her daughter said when she was acting shy. Caitlin nodded her head.

"Okay," she murmured and looked at Barry.

"It was lovely seeing you again, but I promised her I'd take her to park before it got dark," she said.

"Can-can I come with you guys?" Barry asked hesitantly and she looked at him.

"I haven't seen you in three years, Cait, it'd be nice to catch up," he said softly and she mulled over her options before nodding her head.

"Sure," she agreed lightly and the three made their way to the park.

Once Caitlin had placed Emily in the swing and was pushing her, she glanced at Barry.

"How's Iris?" Caitlin asked curiously.

"Uh, she's fine. We broke up about a year and a half ago now," he said and she frowned.

"I'm sorry," she said softly but Barry shook his head.

"Don't be," he stated, "these things happen."

Caitlin left it at that as she continued pushing her daughter in the swing.

"What about you, Cait? Anyone in your life?" Barry asked and Caitlin shook her head before looking at Emily.

"Not since her father," she said and hoped he'd leave it at that.

"You and I look a lot alike, we have the same green eyes," Emily, who had apparently gotten over her shy phase, said to Barry. Caitlin felt her neck grow warm and watched as Barry looked at her daughter curiously.

"Yes, we do," he agreed before looking at Caitlin who cleared her throat.

"Em, it's getting dark sweetheart, it's time to go," she said and Emily nodded her head.

"Okay, mommy," she agreed and Caitlin brought the swing to a gentle resting point before pulling Emily out of it.

"Come on, button, time for bed," Caitlin said and noticed that Emily's eyes were drooping. She laughed softly as she picked her up and rested her against her hip and it wasn't long before Emily's eyes had shut.

"Well, Barry, I guess this is where we part ways," Caitlin said quietly.

"Can I walk you guys home?" Barry asked and she sighed.

"I'm not sure…" she trailed off.

"Please, Cait, I'd feel better knowing if you two got home safely," he added softly and she nodded her head.

"Okay, my apartment is not too far from here. About a ten minute walk," she clarified and the two made their way towards it, both lost in their thoughts.

Once they reached her apartment, she looked at Barry.

"Thanks for walking us home," she said and he nodded his head.

"Goodnight," he replied before leaving them alone. Caitlin sighed in relief as she got Emily into her pajamas and in bed.

"Goodnight, sweetheart," she murmured before turning her nightlight on and cracking her door.

Once she made it back to her kitchen, she poured herself a cup of hot tea, getting ready to retire for the night when there was a light knock on her door.

Looking up curiously, she made her way towards it and opened it to find Barry standing there.

"Why does she look like me, Caitlin?" Barry whispered and Caitlin felt her heart clench.

"Barry…" she trailed off.

"No, Cait, I need to know. Is she my daughter?" Barry asked and Caitlin closed her eyes.

"Why are you asking me this?" Caitlin replied softly.

"Because one, she's three, and our night together happened three years ago; two, she looks exactly like me," he stated and Caitlin sighed.

"Y-yes," she whispered.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Barry demanded and Caitlin walked out into the hallway, closing the door slightly but leaving it open enough so she could hear her daughter if she needed her.

"Keep your voice down," Caitlin scolded and looked at him.

"Look Barry, you have to know I was scared and had no idea what to do," she said plainly.

"You were with Iris and I hadn't found out I was pregnant until about three weeks after I moved here. By that point we had cut contact with each other," she added.

"Who's fault is that?" Barry demanded in an angry whisper and Caitlin pinched the bridge of her nose.

"You had just gotten back with Iris, I didn't want to ruin that," she said softly.

"I had a right to know," Barry stated and Caitlin nodded her head.

"I-I know you're mad," she started.

"That's an understatement," Barry muttered.

"But you need to know, I did what I thought was best at the time. How were we going to explain to Emily that she was the product of a onetime thing?" Caitlin finished and it was Barry's turn to sigh.

"She's still my daughter, you could've told me," he said and Caitlin's shoulders dropped.

"I'm sorry," she murmured and Barry stared at her for a long moment.

"Where do we go from here?" Barry asked and Caitlin frowned at him.

"What do you mean?" Caitlin asked and Barry shrugged.

"I mean, you're not keeping my daughter away from me, Cait," he stated simply and Caitlin nodded her head. She knew that was the right thing to do, that she had kept Emily away from him long enough.

"I'll talk to her in the morning and we can come up with an arrangement where she can travel back and forth between our two cities," she murmured and Barry bit his lip.

"Or you two can move back there together," he murmured in a calmer tone. Caitlin blinked.

"What?" Caitlin asked, unsure if she had heard him correctly.

"Look Cait, I miss you," he began, "seeing you today after three long years proved that. You left without a goodbye, without a clue as to where you had gone. Do you have any idea how concerned Cisco and I were?"

Caitlin sighed.

"I'm sorry for that, truly, but I needed to get away from you guys for a while," she murmured.

"A while turned into three years?" Barry asked skeptically and she knew he didn't understand, not really.

"Look Barry, when I first found out that you and Iris were going to be in a relationship, I acted like it didn't bother me. But it did, more than I care to admit," she said and Barry looked at her.

"Cait," he began gently, "I wish you had just told me."

Caitlin shook her head.

"You were meant to be happy with Iris, who was I to stand in the way of that?" Caitlin asked and Barry sighed.

"Well, things didn't work out between us anyways, so I'm not really sure who ended up happy in this situation," he muttered and Caitlin chuckled softly.

"Please come home with me, Caitlin. Bring our daughter with you and let me spend every day for the rest of my life showing how much I love you two," he murmured and Caitlin stared at him.

"Alright," she breathed out. It was time she came home. She knew that and so did he. He smiled gently at her.

"Thank you," he murmured before brushing his lips across her forehead and Caitlin smiled.

The past three years may have been a challenge but she was looking forward to a better future with Barry and that left her undeniably happy.

Author's note: Jesse! This one is for you! Hope you like it!


	8. Chapter 8

Caitlin had been back on the team for months and things seemed to have fallen into a pattern. Every day, she would help aid Barry in missions behind the safety of computer screens and bandage him when he came back from missions bruised and bloody. It was as if nothing had changed, yet she knew everything had changed.

Caitlin slipped out of Star Labs quietly after every one had retired for the evening. She claimed she had some documents to look over and no one questioned her further, which she was grateful for.

She knew where she was headed, it was the same place she went every night: to the other side of the city that was home to some of the foulest meta human she knew she'd ever encounter. Glancing behind her quickly, she rushed forward, hoping to make it there before they started going to bed at this late hour.

Once she made it to that side of the city, she paused and smiled. Two metas were walking her way at that precise moment.

"Brilliant," Caitlin breathed before stepping in front of them.

"Long way from home, aren't you miss?" One of the meta humans questioned and she chuckled.

"No, I'm right where I need to be," she verified before throwing the first punch. It always amazed her at how quickly she could outsmart meta humans, considering she was one herself. However, she used her powers to her advantage. With the first meta human receiving the punch and the other one being left astounded, she took her opportunity and thrusted her hands forward, causing ice to shoot out of them.

"What the hell?" One of them mumbled and ducked down in time to avoid being knocked off his feet. Caitlin frowned.

"You're not supposed to play dirty," she muttered as she sent another block of ice spinning his way but he merely crouched down lower. With her eyes on her opposition, she didn't have time to notice the other guy creeping up on her until it was too late.

She felt his arms come around her neck, effectively locking her in place against him.

"What's a pretty little thing like you out here, all alone, fighting us?" The man whispered and Caitlin resisted the temptation to roll her eyes.

"Trying to teach you lesson," she grunted out as she tried to ram her foot into his shins but it was no use; the man had her trapped.

"Jimmy, come here a moment," he called to his partner and Caitlin watched as he got up off the ground and made his way to her, popping his knuckles.

"You asked for me, boss?" Jimmy drawled out and the man nodded.

"I want you here to teach Ice Princess a lesson she'll never forget," he said and shoved Caitlin towards him.

Before she had time to defend herself, the man was throwing her down on the ground and kicking her with a vendetta. She groaned as she coiled in onto herself, trying to shield her body from the man.

"I don't think so," he snapped and stomped down hard onto her hand.

She couldn't help it, she screamed out.

"Are you the reason my friends have been disappearing off the street?" He asked her and she just glared at him.

"I said," he began before kicking her in the stomach and Caitlin cried out as she felt few of her ribs crack, "are you the reason my friends have been disappearing off the street?"

"Yes," she muttered, hating this man more and more.

"Well, we can't have that," the man taunted before kicking her in the side of the head.

Caitlin groaned as stars burst in front of her eyes. Trying to blink back the pain as best she could, she stared up at the man with as much hatred as she could muster.

"Kill me then," she spat out.

"Oh, I will. Just when I'm good and ready," Jimmy smirked and Caitlin knew she was in for a world of pain. Blinking back the tears that had gathered in the corners of her eyes, she prayed it wouldn't be dragged on for too long.

After enduring a few more punches and kicks, her prayer had been answered and she felt her consciousness slipping from her. The last thing she could've sworn she saw was a flash of electricity. Then the darkness came for her and she welcomed it with open arms.

"Caitlin, Caitlin can you hear me?" A soft voice pulled her back to consciousness and she sat up with a gasp.

"Ow," she cried in pain and was surprised to see Barry trying to ease back down.

"Easy, Cait, easy," he soothed and Caitlin stared around at her surroundings.

She was back in Star Labs, on the medical bed Barry usually occupied. Glancing around for a moment longer, it all came back to her.

"What… where's Jimmy and that other guy?" Caitlin asked hurriedly before swinging her legs over the side of the bed despite the immense amount of pain it caused her.

Barry wasn't having it, though. He placed his hand on her shoulder and firmly pushed her back until she was laying down.

"They're in the pipeline, which is where they'll be staying until Joe books them for assault and battery," he replied.

"You need to stay still," he added and she nodded her head. She licked her lips, suddenly realizing how parched she was and looked around for water. Barry followed her eyesight and grabbed the cup before she could reach out for it. He placed it gently against her lips and helped her tip her head back so she could get some. After taking a long drink, she pulled back and sighed tiredly.

"How bad am I?" Caitlin asked dejectedly and Barry's eyes narrowed.

"Three broken ribs, concussion, and a sprained wrist," he snapped and she winced, knowing how angry he was.

"So," she began but paused. How on earth was she supposed to be telling him she fought crime every night? Not knowing how to begin, she looked at him helplessly.

"So, you're a crime fighter now?" Barry asked and Caitlin shrugged her shoulder.

"Something like that," she muttered as she tried to get in a comfier position. It looked like they both had some things to talk about and she wanted to be more relaxed for that conversation.

"Caitlin, do you have any idea how dangerous that is?" Barry demanded harshly and she looked at him.

"You fight crime, Barry," she replied stubbornly.

"I have powers, Cait," he said exasperatedly.

"So do I," she shot back and he looked at her.

"I can run away if things get too bad," he insisted.

"I can…freeze them, if they get too bad?" Caitlin asked and Barry's lip twitched before rolling his eyes.

"Not the same and you know it," he said and Caitlin shook her head.

"I wouldn't expect you to understand, Barry," she said tiredly and he nodded.

"You're right, I don't understand why one of my best friends is out there fighting crime on her own every single night," he snapped and she sighed, knowing he wouldn't understand even if she did explain.

She had to try though.

"Look Barry, it's easy for you," she began and watched as he frowned in confusion.

"It's easy for you being the good guys because that's who you are," she carried on, "you're the good guy. The one who always does the right thing, no matter what."

"I'm not following," Barry said as he ran a weary hand over his face.

"I'm not the good girl," she explained, hoping he'd understand.

By the way his eyebrows joined together in the middle, it seemed he did.

"Cait," he breathed out but she silenced him with a look.

"I haven't been the good girl in a long time, and I just needed to know that I could still be the good girl," she continued.

"So, you're out there fighting rogue meta humans every night to prove that you still have good inside of you?" Barry questioned and she nodded her head, then immediately regretted it when it affected her concussion.

"Yes," she replied quietly.

Barry eased himself down on the side of her bed and rubbed his thumb across her knuckles soothingly.

"Look Cait, I get that, I really do, but you fighting crime is not the way to prove you're good," he murmured and she closed her eyes.

"Look at me," he murmured and she did, after taking a breath.

"You prove yourself to be good by doing everything you're already doing," he said softly and she looked at him.

"By patching me up after every mission, by not letting your powers win, by being here," he stated simply and she thought over his words. Maybe he did have a point. Maybe she wasn't proving anything by fighting. Sighing, she smiled slightly.

"Do I still get to use my powers if I want to?" Caitlin asked and Barry nodded his head with a chuckle.

"Yes, but not to fight people off anymore, alright Rocky?" Barry replied and she snorted.

"Alright," she agreed lightly. She watched as Barry looked at her for a moment, something unreadable in his expression.

"What?" Caitlin asked softly and he shrugged.

"You just really scared me tonight, you know? Barry murmured.

"I heard someone crying out in pain and rushed to them only to find out that it was you. You who was laying on the ground all bloody and bruised. I never want to feel what I felt when I saw you in that moment again," he sighed.

Caitlin stared at him for a long moment before easing up and placing a gentle kiss on his cheek.

"What was that for?" Barry asked softly and Caitlin smiled warmly.

"For being you, Barry Allen," she replied before yawning. He helped lay her back down and stood up.

"Get some rest, Cait. I'm not going anywhere," he promised and she nodded her head.

"Oh, and Barry?" Caitlin asked.

"Hmm?"

"Don't tell Cisco I got my ass handed to me," she murmured and the last thing she heard before sleep took over was Barry's melodious laughter.

Author's note: Anon! Here you go! Hope you like it! Remember, you can leave prompts in the comments! I have three to get to and then I'll be all caught up. I'll get to them over the next few days.


	9. Chapter 9

"Alright, Caitlin, you do exactly what I say out there," Barry said and Caitlin didn't have to hear the unspoken "or else" to know he was serious.

She nodded her head. "I will."

He looked at her for a moment before sighing and swinging her into his arms.

"Barry Allen, ask a lady before you just pick them up," Caitlin reprimanded and he worked hard to keep his face serious.

"Next time," he muttered and she rolled her eyes before tightening her hold on him and he her. He then flashed them out of Star Labs and towards Central City's precinct, where they're latest meta human was wreaking havoc. He was a criminal Joe had arrested without realizing he had powers far greater than Joe was capable of dealing with. That's why he called in Flash and Killer Frost, something Barry wasn't completely on board with but let happen regardless.

After they reached the precinct, Barry placed Caitlin down and they ran into the main lobby where their meta had taken hostages.

"Charles Prescott?" Barry asked and the man snapped his head up, looking at them.

"Ah, team Flash has arrived to save the day," Charles grinned lazily and Caitlin kept her hands firmly at her sides. It was their plan to attack when he was least expecting it. She watched Charles as he made his way towards them.

Barry shifted so he was a little more in front of Caitlin and she resisted the temptation to roll her eyes. She was perfectly capable of handling herself, thank you very much, Barry Allen.

However, she didn't inch forward, not yet. She waited to see what Barry was going to say.

"You need to stop this, Charles," Barry stated plainly and Caitlin watched as Charles rolled his eyes.

"Hmm, I don't think so," he smirked before picking up one of the hostages and holding her close to his body.

"I'm going to walk out of here now, with her, and if any of you plan on following me, I'll kill her," he snapped and Caitlin felt her stomach coil uneasily.

"Or you can take me," she said quickly and ignored the way Barry's eyes snapped on her.

"What are you doing?" Barry hissed but she merely shook her head, indicating that she wasn't about to answer questions.

Charles looked at her.

"Take you?" Charles repeated and she nodded her head as she made her way towards them, slowly.

"Yes, you need a hostage to get out of here alive; why not take one who's volunteering herself?" Caitlin asked and Charles stared at her for a moment longer before nodding his head slowly.

"Alright, get over here," he snapped, waving the gun at her. Caitlin took a deep breath before walking closer to him, hoping Barry would trust her enough to know that she had a handle on the situation.

Once she reached Charles, he shoved the other hostage forward and Caitlin caught her before she fell.

"It's okay," Caitlin told the woman softly who had so much fear written across her features. She eased the woman back down on the floor and then felt Charles jerk her back into his arms, placing the gun near her temple.

"Barry, make sure you get these people out safely," she said and he nodded, mouth in a grim line.

"Cait..." he said but she shook her head.

"It's fine," she promised softly. Just then Charles hit the side of her head with the gun and she gasped in pain.

"You don't need to do that, she'll do whatever you say," Barry growled through clenched teeth and Charles smirked.

"Oh, I know. I just don't like all this chit chatting. Now, let's go sweetheart," he snapped and pushed her forward with gun placed directly behind her. Steadying her breathing, Caitlin walked all the way out of the precinct.

"Where to?" Caitlin asked softly but instead of answering, Charles shoved the gun into her back.

"Just keep walking," he snapped.

Caitlin was thinking furiously fast. She had about thirty seconds to get out of this alive.

"Charles?" Caitlin began conversationally.

"Shut up," he snapped.

"But, you haven't even heard what I had to say," she replied sweetly and that was enough for Charles to lose it. Grabbing her by the shoulder, he spun her around and that was all she needed.

She raised her hands up and let the cool mist swirl around them.

"What the hell?" Charles muttered.

"Should really know when you're dealing with another meta human," Caitlin said pleasantly before thrusting her hands forward, sending ice shooting out of them. It knocked him flat on his back, the gun flying out of his hand. She ducked down just in case it went off but luckily it just skidded across the pavement. Once it reached her, she kicked it away from them before sending another block of ice onto him, encasing his legs inside of it.

"Now, we're going to wait here until a police officer or the Flash come out," she smiled and glanced up.

"Oh look, here comes one now," she nodded her head towards Joe who was running towards them.

"Are you okay?" Joe asked in concern and Caitlin nodded her head.

"That's a bad bruise on the side of your head," Joe frowned.

"Nothing a little Tylenol and ice won't fix," she promised as she looked down at Charles.

"Your guy here isn't the nicest of men but I don't think he'll be causing you any more trouble," she added as she saw him trying and failing to get out of the blocks of ice locked around his legs.

Joe chuckled.

"It's usually the Flash who saves the day but it looks like you could give him a run for his money," he smiled warmly. Just then Barry came running out of the precinct, still in his flash attire, with worry written all over his face.

"Caitlin," he breathed before wrapping her in his arms.

"You're safe, you're okay," he mumbled and Caitlin nodded her head.

"I'm fine," she promised and his fingers probed lightly at the lump on the side of her head and he winced.

"It's okay, I promise," she said softly and he nodded his head. He turned and looked at Charles.

"All the hostages have been released and you're the only one who's looking at serious time in jail. I call this a win for team Flash," he and Charles just frowned.

After Joe had gotten him up off the ground and booked, Barry ran away and returned in less than thirty seconds in his normal clothes and an ice pack. He placed it against the side of Caitlin's head and she winced.

"Sorry," he soothed and she nodded.

"It's fine," she replied softly and the two sat in silence.

"So, team Flash?" Caitlin asked a few moments later and Barry looked at her.

"What?" Barry replied and Caitlin shrugged her shoulder, a small smile tugging at her lips.

"I did save the day, I think we should be team Killer Frost," she replied.

"Don't even think about it."

Author's note: Lily, here you go! A one shot of Caitlin out in the field. Hope you like it! Remember, I accept prompts in the comments!


	10. Chapter 10

Caitlin laughed at something Barry said and Iris watched in a mixture of happiness and jealousy. It had been a long time since she heard anyone but herself be able to make Barry that happy, and she knew her best friend was slipping from her. She watched on to see Barry nudge Caitlin in the arm, smiling happily and sighed. She knew she needed to talk to her best friend, talk to him about where they were sitting. She just didn't want to push him away.

Clearing her head of the thoughts, she walked up to them, smiling softly as she did so.

"Caitlin, you mind if I steal this guy away from you for a bit?" Iris asked and Caitlin shook her head.

"Nope, I've been greedy with him," she acknowledged before smiling and damn, if that didn't make Iris more frustrated. She was the only one who was allowed to be greedy with Barry and have all of his time. Smiling tightly, she nodded her head.

"Thanks," she said before directing Barry out of the cortex.

"Where are we going?" Barry asked after they were out of the cortex and on their way out of the building.

"To talk," Iris muttered, knowing she had a few things to say. Barry just nodded his head and let her lead the way.

Once they made it to Jitters and had ordered their coffee, Iris led him to a table in the back. After gathering her thoughts, she glanced up at Barry.

"So, you and Caitlin?" Iris asked, working hard to not let any bitterness creep into her voice. Barry frowned.

"There is no "me and Caitlin"," he said and she resisted the temptation to roll her eyes.

"Barry, that woman is absolutely smitten with you and I'm pretty sure you feel the same way," she sighed. She watched as Barry's cheeks turned a rosy red and frowned.

"No she's not," he muttered.

"Do you want her to be?" Iris asked softly and his frown intensified.

"Why are you asking me this, Iris?" Barry replied.

Iris thought over her words carefully before replying.

"I miss you," she said quietly and Barry laughed quietly, surprised.

:"Iris, we see each other every day," he said gently but she shook her head.

"No, we see each other every day at the cortex. It's not the same," she insisted and Barry frowned.

"Iris West, are you jealous?" Barry asked incredulously and Iris blinked.

"Jealous?" Iris scoffed.

Barry nodded his head. "That's what I asked, isn't it?"

"You're going to have to elaborate a little further. Jealous of what, exactly?" Iris asked.

"Of the fact that I'm no longer able to just spend time with you," Barry replied gently.

Iris shook her head adamantly before noticing the look on Barry's face and sighing.

"Fine, maybe a little," she muttered and Barry laughed gently.

"You have no reason to be jealous. You're still my best friend," he assured and how she wished she could believe that.

"Caitlin also seems to be your best friend," she sighed and Barry looked at her.

"Iris, you have to understand that I do have a lot in common with Caitlin; we're both scientists," he added desperately but Iris wished that was all there was to it.

"I think it's a little more than scientific interests that have you both smiling at each other," she said, hating herself for having this conversation but knowing it needed to be discussed at the same time.

"Let's say for arguments' sake you're right, why does that bother you so much? I thought you'd be happy for me," Barry mumbled and Iris sighed.

"I am," she agreed gently, "however, I just miss you.

Barry nodded his head.

"I'm sorry I haven't been around more," he muttered apologetically and Iris felt her heart clench. Here she was, making him feel guilty for spending time with other people and for what reason? Because she was afraid she was losing her best friend? She shook her head.

"No, Barry, I'm sorry for making such a big deal out of this," she replied softly. She squeezed his hand comfortingly.

"I'm happy you're making new friends, truly, I just felt like I was being forgotten in the process," she added and Barry was quick to shake his head.

"Just because I'm making new friends doesn't mean I'll forgot about my old ones," he replied earnestly.

She thought over his words for a moment before nodding.

"Okay," she agreed lightly, knowing it was as good as she was going to get.

"Now, tell me more about your crush on Caitlin," she said with a laugh.

"I-I don't have a crush on Caitlin," he muttered, turning red.

"Barry Allen, I've known you practically my whole life, so don't you dare lie to me about this," she chided and Barry looked up ashamed.

"Sorry," he said and she shook her head.

"How long have you liked her?" Iris asked gently and from there the conversation turned into how long he had like her and what exactly it was about her that he liked. About his fears about someone hurting her to get to the Flash, about how he wanted to ask her on a date but felt as if she still needed the time to heal from Ronnie.

Iris listened as best she could, hoping the pang of jealously she felt would simmer down. After all, this was her best friend. She should be happy for him, right? Sighing, she knew it wasn't that easy but was going to try her damnedest to not let anything jeopardize her relationship with Barry, including herself.

Author's note: Heth! Here you go!


	11. Chapter 11

"I cannot believe you got us kidnapped, Barry Allen," Caitlin hissed but Barry just flashed her a tight grin.

"Look at the bright side, Cait, we get to spend date night together," he replied but she was less than amused.

"I swear, if you die, I'll never forgive you. Nor will I visit your grave," Caitlin ground out through clenched teeth, trying to ignore the massive knots swirling in her stomach.

"You know Cisco and the team are working on locating us," Barry soothed but it did nothing to ease Caitlin's anxiety. She wasn't worried about herself, no it was Barry's safety that had her on edge. The city wouldn't be losing a hero if she died but they would lose one if the Flash died, not to mention what it would do to Caitlin. Sighing, she struggled against her handcuffs one last time.

"You're going to have angry welts on your wrists, babe," Barry said softly. Just as she was about to say she didn't care, the door to the cellar they were in opened up and one of the men who had kidnapped them came walking in.

"Boss wants Flash," he grunted and thinking fast, Caitlin hatched a plan.

"Take me instead!" Caitlin exclaimed and the next thing she felt was her head being snapped backwards as the man slapped her.

"You don't need to do that," Barry growled but the man chuckled.

"If I wanted your girlfriend to interrupt, I would've asked for her opinion a lot sooner," he snarled.

Blinking back the pain, Caitlin glared at the man.

'Get your boss in here and we'll see what he thinks of the idea," she spat out.

The man looked at her before shrugging his shoulder and disappearing up the stairs.

"Cait, what are you doing?" Barry demanded but she didn't answer, too busy thinking through the next part of her plan. The man, closely followed by his boss, made his way back down the stairs. They stopped in front of her and looked at her.

"Enlighten me, dear girl," the boss said and Caitlin took a steadying breath.

"I know you want to use the Flash to carry your plans out but you've already put a power dampening cuff on him. It's going to take a long time for him to utilize is abilities again," she said calmly and felt Barry's fearful eyes on her.

"Use me instead," Caitlin added and the two men looked at each other.

"And do you have powers?"

"Why don't you untie me and I'll show you," Caitlin replied.

"Drew, untie our sweetheart here," said the main guy and Drew nodded his head.

"Will do, Peter," he replied casually.

"Oh, and dear, do anything that I don't like and your pretty boyfriend gets a bullet in his skull," Peter added threateningly and Caitlin knew he would do it and there would be nothing Barry could do to stop him. Breathing shakily, she nodded her head.

The next thing she felt was Drew unlocking her cuffs. Rubbing her wrists soothingly, she stood up slowly.

"I'm waiting," Peter drawled out and Caitlin nodded before lifting her hands and letting the cool mist swirl around them.

"I can freeze things," she muttered and Peter looked completely entranced.

"Can you now?" Peter asked and Caitlin just stared at him.

After a moment's worth of deliberation, Peter smiled.

"You're right, sweetheart, I want you to execute this part of the mission," he breathed out.

"No, Caitlin!" Barry shouted.

"Shut up," Caitlin snapped.

"Listen to your girlfriend here, Flash, and shut up," Peter said joyously.

"What do you need me to do?" Caitlin asked, and ignored the way Barry tugged at his power dampening cuff uselessly.

"Easy, you're going to bring my money to me and freeze anyone who tries to stop you," Peter said and Caitlin nodded her head.

"On one condition, Peter," Caitlin added and he raised an eyebrow.

"My boyfriend walks out of this alive," she whispered and Peter studied her for a moment before nodding his head.

"I give you my word," he promised and Caitlin tried to see if he was lying but could detect no sign of dishonesty in his features so sighed.

"Let's do this then," she muttered.

Grabbing her roughly by the elbow, Drew dragged her up the stairs and out of the room with Peter hot on their trail.

Once Peter explained where to find the money at, Caitlin set off to retrieve, praying no one would try to stop her. Luckily for her, no one did. She was able to find the money exactly where Peter said it would be. Sighing in relief, she made her way back to the house they were holding Barry in and saw Drew and Peter standing outside.

"Is he alright?" Caitlin demanded and Drew held out his phone. Looking at him suspiciously, Caitlin took it.

"Hello?" Caitlin breathed.

"Baby, are you alright?" Barry's voice carried through and she sighed in relief.

"I'm fine, are you alright?" Caitlin asked quickly.

"I'm fine apart from being mad at you for doing something so reckless," Barry sighed and Caitlin nearly laughed, filled with such relief at knowing Barry was safe.

"I'll be down there in a moment," she promised softly before hanging up and handing the phone, along with the money, to Peter.

Peter opened the back and checked the contents before smiling and nodding at Drew.

It all happened too quickly to keep up with. Drew immediately backhanded Caitlin across the face, sending her sprawling onto the ground. Gasping for air, she felt Drew tighten something onto her wrists and looked up questioningly.

"What the hell, Peter?" Caitlin hissed but he merely smiled.

"I'm a man of my word, Caitlin. I promised to keep your boyfriend safe. I never said anything about keeping you safe, however," Peter replied and Caitlin realized in that moment how stupid she had been to trust him. He kicked her once in the ribs and she recoiled, breathing through the pain before she heard the cocking of a gun. Looking up, she saw the gun pointed directly at her chest and closed her eyes. Next thing she heard was the echoing bang and everything else got lost in the abyss of darkness.

A steady beeping brought Caitlin back to consciousness and she opened her eyes tiredly.

Looking around she spotted Barry mere inches away from her, resting his head against the bed she was propped up in.

"You're awake," he muttered and was that anger coloring his tone? Blinking, she looked at him.

"What happened?" Caitlin mumbled.

"You were incredibly stupid and got yourself shot, that's what happened," Barry snapped and Caitlin frowned.

"Why are you being so mean?" Caitlin asked tiredly and Barry laughed humorlessly.

"Oh, I don't know Cait, maybe it has to do with the fact that my girlfriend got shot, while I was in some cellar with a power dampening cuff around my wrist," he said and Caitlin winced.

"Oops," she muttered and Barry rolled his eyes.

"Do you have any idea how lucky you are that Cisco and Joe found you when they did? They showed up about five minutes after Drew and Peter left," he said quietly.

"Better me than you," Caitlin said softly and Barry just stared at her for a long moment.

"That's the last time I ever want to hear you say that again, do you understand me?" Barry whispered and Caitlin looked at him before sighing.

'The world needs The Flash," she mumbled and Barry ran a weary hand over his face.

"And I need Caitlin Snow," he retaliated, "there is no Flash without Caitlin Snow."

"I'm sorry, I just couldn't stand the thought of anything happening to you," Caitlin murmured and Barry sighed.

"And do you really think I can stand the thought of something happening to you?" Barry whispered.

"You were already kidnapped because we're dating. They took you because of me. You didn't need to almost die," he added.

"I'll heal, won't I?" Caitlin asked.

"You're not listening, Caitlin," Barry snapped and she fell silent, never seeing him quite this angry.

"You can't die. I refuse to let it happen. The one time that I couldn't prevent it you decided to go play the hero. You can't do that," he reiterated and Caitlin sighed.

"It's not so fun when I'm the one in the hospital bed, is it?" Caitlin asked softly.

"I recover a lot faster than you do," Barry muttered and Caitlin laughed.

"If that's your excuse, then you're in for a world of frustration. I will always put myself on the line if it means even attempting to make you safe," she replied and Barry stared at her.

"I can't lose you," he whispered and Caitlin felt her heart bleed at his admission.

"You won't," she said softly. The fight was drained out of him, and he nodded his head.

"Good," he murmured before kissing her gently.

"Get some sleep, sweetheart," he said softly.

She nodded her head and closed her eyes.

"Oh and Caitlin?"

"Hmm?"

"I'm personally tying you to your desk chair once you get out of here."

Smiling slightly, she let sleep overcome her.

Author's note

Tyrala! Hope you enjoy!


	12. Chapter 12

Caitlin was at Star Labs, just going over some of Barry's test results when someone came walking in. She didn't know who he was or what he wanted, and she got ready to dial Barry's number when he held up a gun.

"I really wouldn't do that if I were you," he said casually and Caitlin placed the phone down and held her hands up.

"What do you want?" Caitlin asked and how she tried to keep her voice from shaking. She would feel a lot better if she wasn't the only one in the cortex at the moment but Barry had yet to leave the precinct and Cisco went on a coffee run.

"I was looking for the Flash, but you're clearly a friend of his so, this might make my job a little easier," the man replied. Caitlin hesitated, unsure of what it was this man wanted from her.

"And how can I help?" Caitlin asked as calmly as she could. She was trembling but she was determined to not let this man see her fear.

She stood rooted to the spot as he walked towards her. He held the gun directly in front of her and her trembling grew worse but she refused to beg him to spare her.

"You're going to go to sleep now," the man muttered.

"To sleep?" Caitlin asked in confusion. Then she saw his eyes. They were doing something weird. As she stared into them, she felt something tug on her consciousness. Not knowing what was happening, she felt herself slipping into the black abyss. With Barry as her final thought, she fell forward completely into the darkness.

"Well, well, well, what do we have here?" Caitlin heard a voice she never thought she'd hear again calling to her and she looked up in fear.

"Jay?" Caitlin whispered.

"The one and only, sweetheart," he replied as he stalked towards her.

"W-what are you doing here? Where am I?" Caitlin demanded.

"You're trapped inside here," Jay replied as he tapped his finger against her forehead and she frowned.

"Am I dreaming?" Caitlin asked softly.

"Something like that," Jay agreed.

"What do you want?" Caitlin whispered and Jay smirked sinisterly.

"Oh, just for a chance for us to catch up, dear," he replied before snatching her by the elbow and dragging her forward. She tried to pull free but his grip was too tight.

"Let me go!" Caitlin demanded but Jay just chuckled as he continued to drag her out of the room and into another.

"Look who we have here, Barry Allen," Jay called and Caitlin looked up fearfully. In a cell about ten feet in front of her was Barry, her love. Her heart beating impossibly fast, she turned her fearful eyes onto Jay.

"Let him go," she begged quietly but he laughed.

"I don't think so, sweetheart," he replied softly and Caitlin felt her heart beat faster.

"Please, Jay, I'm begging you. You can have me, keep me!" Caitlin practically cried but Jay just laughed and took no heed of her pleas.

"We're going to sit here and have a little chat with your boyfriend listening in," Jay said casually and Caitlin took one more look at Barry before squaring her shoulders and glaring back at Jay.

"Fine," she snapped, "what do you want to talk about?"

"How about the fact that I'm going to make you relive your worst nightmare?" Jay replied and Caitlin gulped.

"Why are you doing this?" Caitlin whispered and Jay laughed maniacally.

"Because, sweetheart, I can," he responded softly and Caitlin felt a tremor wrack through her body.

Before she had a chance to protest, Jay had vibrated through the cell and placed his arms around Barry's neck.

"No! Jay don't!" Caitlin screamed as she ran towards the cell and shook the bars, tears streaming down her face.

Jay did not listen to her and the next thing Caitlin heard was the snapping of Barry's neck.

"No!" Caitlin shouted as Barry fell down to the ground, life seeped out of him.

"Barry, wake up, WAKE UP!" Caitlin screamed but it was useless; Barry Allen was dead.

"Remember, Cait: Barry Allen's death is your fault," Jay said calmly as he vibrated himself back out of the cell. Not caring about her safety for one second, Caitlin launched herself forward and began punching every part of Jay that she could reach.

"How could you?" Caitlin screamed over and over again as she thrusted her fists forward, reaching exposed skin.

Jay just laughed. "Because I'm here to torture you, sweetheart."

"No, no, no," Caitlin cried over and over as she continued to punch him. Part of her wondered why he wasn't fighting her back but she didn't have it in her to ask him. She was too distraught over what she had just witnessed.

"Barry Allen is dead because of you," Jay continued to taunt her and the fight was drained out of her.

Collapsing onto the ground, she placed her hands tightly over her ears as tears continued to roll down her cheeks.

"Shut up, shut up, shut up," Caitlin cried as she rocked her body back and forth.

A voice she didn't expect to hear crept up into her senses.

"Baby, look at me," Barry murmured softly and she wondered if Jay had finally broken her.

"You're dead, you're dead, you're dead," Caitlin muttered as she pressed her hands more tightly against her ears.

"No, I'm not, you're just dreaming Cait," Barry soothed and Caitlin shook her head firmly.

"No, I'm not," she wailed.

"Yes, you are," Barry said and she peeked one eye open. Barry, very much alive, was kneeling in front of her.

"B-Barry?" Caitlin choked out and he nodded his head as he removed her hands from her ears gently.

"Just dreaming baby, just dreaming," he murmured.

"I don't understand, you're dead," she gasped but he shook his head.

"This isn't real, you're only in your head," he soothed and she glanced around. Jay was gone, as was Barry's lifeless body.

"I need you to wake up, sweetheart," he said gently and Caitlin turned her round eyes on him.

"How?" Caitlin questioned and Barry smiled. He kissed her gently and looked at her.

"Wake up and come back to me, baby," he murmured.

Caitlin woke up with a gasp and sat straight up. She was back in Star Labs, on the medical bay.

"Easy, Cait, easy," Barry soothed as he pushed her back down gently. She stared at him for a moment before crying once more. Barry caught her tears.

"It's okay, sweetheart, you're safe now," he soothed. Caitlin gasped.

"I thought you were dead, he killed you," she muttered but Barry shook his head.

"Wasn't real, baby," he murmured and Caitlin nodded her head.

"Not real," she repeated softly as her heart rate returned to normal.

She thought back to what happened before she fell asleep and looked at Barry.

"That man!" Caitlin cried as she tried to sit back up but Barry stopped her gently.

"Is a meta human and in the pipeline. I came just as he had put you to sleep," he said softly. Caitlin nodded her head.

She felt her heart rate return to normal as she stared at Barry, drinking in the sight of him.

Barry traced her upper lip soothingly.

"It's okay, it's okay," he murmured over and over again and she nodded her head.

He was right, it was okay.

Author's note: Jesse! For you darling! Remember, if you have a prompt, leave it in the comments! I believe I have one more to get to!


	13. Chapter 13

"Caitlin, I really don't want you out on the field with me, it's too dangerous," Barry said and Caitlin sighed heavily.

"Barry, I've told you at least a hundred times now: I'm a big girl and can handle myself on a mission," she replied sternly and Barry bit his lip as he studied her.

"But…" he trailed off as Caitlin shook her head.

"No buts. I have every right to be out there; haven't I proved myself useful in previous missions? Don't you trust me?" Caitlin demanded and she watched as Barry's expression immediately softened.

"Hey, don't doubt yourself sweetheart, you know I trust you," he stated firmly and Caitlin felt her heart flutter against her rib cage.

"Then what is it?" Caitlin asked softly and Barry sighed as he ran his hand through his hair.

"It's typically the meta human that we're facing that I don't trust. What if they hurt you, baby?" Barry whispered and Caitlin felt her heart break for him.

"Oh, sweetheart," she murmured, "it's fine. Even if something like that did happen, it kind of helps when your fiancé has super speed and can literally get you to the hospital in less than five minutes."

Barry chuckled slightly but the worry didn't leave his eyes, not entirely. Caitlin sighed as she walked towards him and wedged herself in between his legs. She placed her hand against his cheek and smiled slightly as he nestled into it.

"Look at me," she encouraged softly and he did.

"Nothing is going to happen," she murmured and he nodded his head.

"Alright," he breathed out, "but just in case it does, can I get a kiss before we go?"

Caitlin let out a peal of laugher as she nodded her head enthusiastically.

"Since when have I ever been one to deny kisses?" Caitlin asked and he smirked.

"Never," he laughed and then their lips met, knocking both of their senses out of the park. Well, it knocked her senses out of the park; however, Barry still seemed fairly aware of his surroundings. Aware enough to lock her wrist to the table he was leaning on with a pair of handcuffs. She jerked her head back in confusion as she looked down and then back up at Barry, who wore a look of regret.

"Barry…what?" Caitlin mumbled, still trying to understand what happened. He placed his hand against her cheek gently and looked at her.

"I'm sorry, baby, it's just too dangerous," he whispered and Caitlin tugged against the handcuff.

"Barry, unlock me," she demanded but he stuck the key in his pocket. He stilled her arm as she continued to tug uselessly against the cuff.

"Don't do that, baby," he murmured and she looked at hm. "You'll get a welt along your wrist."

"Barry. Unlock me now," Caitlin hissed but her merely kissed her on the forehead gently and took a step back.

"I'm so sorry, baby," he whispered, "I'll unlock you when our meta is locked in the pipeline. With one last look at her, he flashed out of the room and she was left alone.

"Dammit!" Caitlin exclaimed as she tugged on the cuff. It was simply too tight to pull her wrist through. She looked around, trying to see if she could find anything sharp enough to unlock it with; she came up empty. Sighing, and feeling beyond frustrated at being treated like a woman who couldn't look after herself, Caitlin yanked the desk chair towards her with her free hand and sat down in it.

"Stupid, Barry," she stated and then looked around to see if anyone had heard her. A moment later, she mentally kicked herself for being so stupid. There was no one in the cortex with her. Sighing, she drummed her fingers against the table as she waited for Barry to get back to the lab so she could properly shout at him for his stupidity. While she was deep in thought about all the ways she was going to kick his ass, Caitlin completely missed the fact that someone else was in the cortex with her.

"Well, well, well, what have we here?" Caitlin's head snapped up at the voice and her eyes landed on a man, probably mid-thirties who was smirking at her.

"Who are you?" Caitlin demanded and she was glad her voice didn't betray how scared she felt. Here she was, alone in star labs and handcuffed to some desk with a strange man she had never met before. If anyone deserved an award for having the worst luck possible, it was definitely her.

"Who I am is not important. What I need, however, is," the man replied and Caitlin narrowed her eyes at him.

"Fine, what do you need?" Caitlin asked and the man's smirk grew more pronounced.

"A little chat with the Flash," he stated and it was Caitlin's turn to smirk.

"Well, he's not here. Sorry for your wasted trip, feel free to exit the way you entered," she replied sweetly and the man's eyes flashed before he smiled.

"No problem, I'll just talk to you since it seems you have eons of time," he said matter of fact and Caitlin sighed. She definitely did not want to be having some conversation with a man while she was handcuffed to a desk.

"Look, now's really not a good time," she muttered but the man raised his arm and she watched as it turned into a long knife. She swallowed back her fear as she stared at him.

"I suggest that you make the time," he said softly and she nodded her head.

"W-what do you want?" Caitlin whispered and the man walked towards her before tracing her lip with his thumb. She jerked her head back and glared at him. He merely smiled.

"You seem feisty, this could be a lot of fun," he murmured. She just raised an eyebrow.

"I want Kid Flash," the man said and Caitlin looked at him suspiciously.

"Why?" Caitlin asked and the man shrugged a shoulder.

"He stopped me from stabbing one of my enemies last week. It's time I return the favor to him," he said and Caitlin shook her head defiantly.

"Not happening. There's no chance in hell I'm letting you anywhere near Kid Flash. Or Flash, for that matter," she snapped and the man looked at her joyously.

"Oh my god, you like one of them! Oh this is too good," he exclaimed and Caitlin just exhaled through her nose. This guy was grating on her last nerve.

"I love gossip as much as the next girl, so tell me, who is it? Kid or Flash?" He asked and Caitlin merely rolled her eyes.

"Let me see, you don't necessarily strike me as a 'Kid Flash' kind of gal, so I'm going to make an educated guess and say it's the Flash who has your heart," the man murmured and Caitlin's silence was all he apparently needed. He smirked sinisterly.

"Well, dearie, you've just made my revenge plan all the more sweeter," he breathed and Caitlin raised an eyebrow at him.

"Oh yeah? And how's that?" Caitlin snapped and the man smirked more.

"Both Flashes will feel absolutely devastated if something happened to you," he smiled sweetly and Caitlin's eyebrows knitted together in confusion.

"To me-," she began but was cut off by the sudden feeling of his hand stabbing into her skin. She gasped as the knife embedded itself firmly into her abdomen.

"W-hat," Caitlin said shakily as the man pulled his arm away from her and smiled.

"Happy resting," he murmured before turning on his foot and walking out. Caitlin's focus became blurry as she looked around. All too soon, she was collapsing onto her knees and then onto her body. She knew she had no hope of staying conscious for a few more minutes, not with the rapid pace her blood was pouring out of her. She couldn't get both hands wrapped around the wound to help stop the blood flow and she wondered if this was how she was going to die. With her final thought on Barry, she collapsed forward into the dark abyss.

A steady beeping is what Caitlin heard first. Then a soft voice singing quietly. She'd recognize that sweet voice anywhere. Blinking her eyes open tiredly, she looked around for him, feeling him squeezing her hand before they even made eye contact.

"Baby?" Barry whispered and she finally saw his face, once the haze in her mind cleared.

"Barry," she coughed out and he immediately reached for the water by her night stand.

"Here, baby," he soothed as he cradled the back of her head in his hand and placed the straw in the cup to her lips.

"Slowly," he advised and she drank the water. Once she felt reasonably satisfied, she leaned back onto her pillows as she took in her surroundings.

"Hospital," she muttered and he nodded his head as he traced his thumb along her collar bone comfortingly.

"Yes," he whispered and Caitlin saw unleashed pain buried deep in his eyes.

She didn't have to ask to know he was blaming himself for what happened. Pieces of the encounter with the man came back to her as she put everything together and she sighed.

"Not your fault," she murmured.

"Don't," he said quietly and Caitlin frowned.

"Don't what?" Caitlin asked and he stared at her.

"Don't try to make me feel better when all of this is my fault," he muttered and Caitlin ran a hand tiredly through his hair.

"You were handcuff to a desk, meaning you couldn't run away from that man, and that's on me," he said and Caitlin winced at how angry he sounded. She knew he was angry with himself, however. Trying to make light of the situation, she smiled hesitantly.

"Well, at least I was right about speeding me to a hospital in less than five minutes," she tried to joke and his mouth twitched, as if he wanted to smile. He shook his head sternly.

"Don't try to make me feel better by getting me to laugh. I'm pretty mad at myself and I don't see this changing anytime soon," he promised and Caitlin sighed,

"Alright," she muttered, "be mad yourself. Just know, I'm not."

He looked at her for a long moment before brushing his lips across her forehead.

"You're too good for me, Caitlin Snow," he murmured and she laughed softly.

"Oh, I don't know about that, I think we balance each other out quite nicely," she replied and he shook his head fondly.

"How long am I stuck here for?" Caitlin asked and he sighed.

"Few days, protocol," he muttered and she nodded her head.

"Figured," she sighed and he rubbed her collar bone again.

"At least they have green jello," Barry smiled.

"At least there's that," she agreed and then, with his constant hand on hers', she let sleep overcome her once again, feeling safe for the first time that day.

Author's note: Ella, this one is for you! I'm back into writing these so they should be coming out more. I'm not going to be able to get to all prompts anymore, however, so I'll write the ones I think I can do justice. Leave me a prompt in the comments and I'll see if I can get to it. XOXO


	14. Chapter 14

"Has anyone seen Caitlin today?" Barry asked his friends and they shook their heads.

"I haven't seen or heard from her since she went home last night," Cisco said and Barry frowned.

"Yeah, me neither," he muttered as he pulled out his phone and hit her speed dial again. Straight to voicemail. For the fifth time.

"Something isn't right, it's not like her to not tell us if she's going to be late. I'm going to go to her apartment and make sure everything is okay," Barry said.

"Take me with you," Cisco replied and he nodded his head. He flashed them out of the cortex and stopped right outside of Caitlin's apartment. He waited for Cisco to get his bearings, bouncing on the balls of his feet impatiently. Finally, Cisco seemed collected enough to go look for her. They walked up the three flights of stairs to her floor, (something Barry had committed to memory when he took her home all those nights ago). Once they made it to her floor, Barry headed down the hallway, ready to knock on her door but stopped dead on his feet instead.

Her door was swung wildly off it's hinges, with ice encasing the knob. Walking carefully and quietly, Barry and Cisco made their way into her apartment and looked around. Barry felt his jaw drop. Clearly, some form of a fight had occurred if the blood splatters on the wall were anything to go by. It worried Barry that he didn't know whose blood it was. Gulping, he glanced at Cisco, who was staring nervously at the blood.

"Barry, where the hell is Caitlin?" Cisco muttered and Barry was just about to tell him he didn't know when a voice spoke up.

"Caitlin's exactly where I need her," a cold voice called and Barry felt his blood run cold. He knew that voice, knew it like the back of his hand. Yet it was different, colder somehow. Glancing up he spotted a woman who so closely resembled his friend that for a moment he was convinced it was Caitlin, playing a trick on them. Then, the woman walked into the light and Barry could truly see she was every bit Caitlin's enemy, this woman named Killer Frost.

"Where is she?" Barry asked lowly but Killer Frost merely chuckled and waved a finger back and forth.

"Ah, ah, ah, not so fast," she smirked and Barry clenched his fists.

"Where. Is. She." Barry demanded but it did nothing to propel the answer forward any faster. Killer Frost merely smirked more.

"She's in safe confinement," she replied.

"What the hell does that mean?" Barry growled, momentarily forgetting Cisco was in the room with them.

"I swear, if you touched a single hair on her head, I'll-"Barry started but was cut off.

"But I did," Killer Frost smiled and Barry saw red.

"I want to know exactly what you plan on doing about it," Killer Frost whispered and Barry was just about to launch himself at her when Cisco threw out his arm.

"Wait," he said sharply and Barry exhaled slowly through his nose.

"What?" Barry hissed.

Cisco looked directly at Killer Frost. "I'm going to need proof that my best friend is alive."

Killer Frost shrugged a shoulder. "Suit yourself."

She walked over to where there was a camera on the table, something that neither guys had spotted and walked back to them. She pulled up some images of Caitlin sitting in a cell, bound and gagged, looking absolutely terrified. Then the next photo showed two men guarding the cell. The final showed her either asleep or unconscious, Barry wasn't sure which.

"Happy?" Killer Frost snapped and Cisco and Barry shared a look before Cisco nodded.

"Do your worst, Barry," he muttered and Barry prepared to do just that. However, a tiny detail stopped him. If he looked hard enough at this monster, he saw Caitlin. His Cait. A woman who would never turn into this person, could never be this cold and calculating. He hesitated long enough for Killer Frost to backhand him.

"Is that all you've got, Flash?" Killer Frost taunted and Cisco ran over to Barry to help steady him.

"Dude, what the hell?" Cisco muttered.

"She-she looks like Cait, Cisco," Barry said and Cisco sighed.

"But she's not and you need to remember that." Cisco emphasized before pulling Barry to his feet and pushing him forward. Once again, just as Barry was about to land his own punch, he saw Caitlin smiling at him and stopped, long enough to be decked in the face. He heard Cisco grumble as he fell to the ground for a second time.

"This is fun," Killer Frost cried joyously. Barry sat up and glared at her, wondering if he could hurt her with his look alone.

"I need to speak to Caitlin," Barry demanded, as a thought began to form.

Killer Frost looked at him intensely for a moment before nodding her head.

"Alright," she complied and pulled out a phone. Barry watched as she pulled up some camera on it and then called out to the two guys guarding her cell.

"Antony, Adam, bring our girl forward."

Barry watched as one of the guys walked over to the cell Caitlin was in and roughly shook her awake. He bit back a snarl. His eyes checked her over as she was thrusted forward and winced when he saw she was limping. The man, Anthony or whoever, stopped right in front of the camera the other guy held up and waited for instructions.

"That's all we needed, put her back," Killer Frost stated but Barry intervened.

"Wait! I said I needed to speak to her," he exclaimed and Killer Frost studied him before rolling her eyes.

"Fine, Flash, speak," she replied in a clipped tone and Barry looked at the guy who was holding her tightly by the arm.

"Take off the gag," he ordered and the man yanked it down.

"Caitlin, are you alright?" Barry asked gently.

"Yes," she rasped out, sounding like she hadn't had any water in a while. Barry sighed but smiled proudly at how brave she was being.

"Hang in there, Cait, we're coming for you," Cisco piped up and Barry nodded his head.

"We are," he affirmed softly.

"That's enough," Killer Frost snapped. The man holding Caitlin nodded his head and kicked her forward. The sound of pain that left her mouth was going to haunt Barry for years to come, he was sure of it. However, it also propelled him into action. He glared at Killer Frost who was smiling at him.

"Now what, Fla-"Barry didn't give her a chance to finish before he threw his first punch, catching her off guard. From there, it was a flurry of punches and kicks, both of them trying to get the upper hand. Barry finally did and he grinned in satisfaction as Killer Frost crumpled to the ground, unconscious. He picked her up and looked at Cisco.

"Stay here and try to locate Caitlin while I lock our friend here in the pipeline," he said and Cisco nodded his head. Barry flashed to star labs and looked down at Killer Frost as he brought down a cell. He still thought it was Caitlin he was locking up, so put her in quickly and didn't hang around a moment longer than he had to.

Once he was back inside Caitlin's apartment, he ran over to Cisco.

"Tell me you found out where she is," he implored and watched as Cisco grinned triumphantly.

"I have. Idiot forgot to take off his tracker on his phone. She's at a warehouse on the edge of town. Find her and I'll call Joe to get his team out there," Cisco stated and Barry didn't need telling twice. He ran through the city, all the way until he was at the edge of it. True to his word, there was a warehouse down the ways a bit. Flashing to edge of it, Barry peeked around the corner and saw Caitlin sitting in the cell, bound and gagged once again, however, she was conscious this time. Barry flashed in and quickly took care of the two idiots who were meant to be guarding her and then ran towards the cell.

"Caitlin, Cait, it's me," he murmured and watched as she turned her eyes, round with fear on him. She tried to speak through her gag but Barry shook his head quickly.

"Don't talk yet, I need to get you out of there and that off you," he murmured and she fell silent. He vibrated the door off the cell and placed it down before hurrying in and dropping to his knees. He pulled the gag off her mouth gently and vibrated the handcuffs off her wrist.

"Caitlin, are you okay?" Barry asked gently.

"Yes," she rasped out, sounding tired and defeated.

"No, you're not," Barry muttered with a frown and bent down to pick her up. She cringed at the pain it caused in her leg.

"Sorry, sorry," Barry soothed as he secured her more safely in his arms. She nodded her head tiredly.

"Get me out of here, please," she mumbled and Barry did just that. Running out of that warehouse and not stopping until he reached the hospital.

He spent three days by her bedside, not even leaving to check in with the precinct. It wasn't until Cisco sat down next to him on the third day with an uncharacteristically somber expression did he budge.

"What?" Barry asked softly and Cisco didn't beat around the bush.

"Do you like her?" Cisco asked bluntly and Barry blinked, cause, what?

"What? No. No. Not-Not like that," he muttered, trying to keep any hints of red off his face.

"Really? Because it sure seemed like it when you were fighting Killer Frost. You couldn't fight her to begin with, Barry," Cisco stated and Barry squirmed around uncomfortably, trying to get a way around this conversation. Seeing none, he sighed.

"Fine, I-I might care for her in more than a platonic way but…"he trailed off as Cisco frowned.

"No buts, Allen, you need to tell her how you feel. Before you don't get a chance to do so. Three days ago should've proven that to you," Cisco said and Barry sighed as he rubbed a weary hand over his face.

"You're right," he muttered and Cisco nodded.

"I know. You know. Now do something about it," he replied before jerking his head at Caitlin, who had started stirring slowly. Barry watched him leave the room before looking at Caitlin, smiling softly. Yes, it was time to do something about it.

"Barry?" Caitlin asked softly.

"Hey," he murmured, not knowing where they were going to go from here but knew it'd be better than what they were leaving behind.

Author's note: A prompt for anon, hope you liked it! Also, do you any of you guys like One Tree Hill? Or, Naley, is what I'm really after. I am tossing around some ideas of writing Caitlin and Barry as Naley for oneshots asnd wondered what you guys thought. If that seems interesting, let me know!


	15. Chapter 15

Barry stared at his phone, willing it to ring. Caitlin had left early that afternoon, with a few mumbled apologies and an excuse about not feeling well but he knew her better than that. Knew her better than himself. That's why he knew that she was sad. Heart achingly sad. Only problem was, he didn't know why. Well, that wasn't true. He did know why. It had to do with the fact that Ronnie had left for a second time, and this time, he wasn't coming back. Death had never felt more final than it did in those few moments when Barry had to tell her that he husband had died. Staring intently at his phone, Barry prayed that Caitlin would just call him and tell him she was fine. Tell him anything. But no such luck; his phone remained as silent as it ever had.

Sighing, he stood up from the computer monitor he was sitting in front of and glanced at Cisco.

"I'm calling it a night, too," he said and Cisco cut his eyes to him before nodding.

"Tell Caitlin I'm here for her, too," he said quietly and Barry nodded his head.

"You know me too well," he muttered and Cisco shrugged.

"She knows you better," he replied and Barry left the conversation there as he ducked out of Star Labs and flashed to her apartment. He hesitated right outside of her apartment, debating on if he should really be here, invading her space. Then he thought about how Joe and Iris had never left him to deal with his mother's death on his own and he nodded his head firmly. He needed to be here.

He knocked lightly on the door.

"Cait, it's me," he called quietly and waited to see if she was going to let him in.

"Go away, please," came the reply and Barry's heart broke at the fact that he could literally hear the trembling in her voice from the other side of the door. He pressed his head against the door and sighed.

"Please, Caitlin, you don't have to deal with this on your own. I can help," he murmured.

"I already have help," she replied and he frowned.

"What do you mean?" Barry asked and Caitlin laughed.

"Wine is a very good friend to me," Caitlin replied and Barry sighed.

"Please let me in, Cait," he murmured. Barry waited a few more moments before hearing the lock click and then the door swinging open. He took a look at Caitlin, who held a wine glass in her hand and a lopsided smile.

"Barry," she squealed and Barry winced.

"Oh, Cait," he murmured as he followed her inside of her apartment. He took a look around and spotted a half empty bottle and an empty glass on her table by her couch. There were dried tear tracks on her face but for the time being, she was smiling.

"Do you want a glass of wine?" Caitlin asked and he shook his head.

"No, thank you," he replied softly and she shrugged a shoulder as she went to go pour herself another glass. He watched as she filled it almost all the way to the top and sighed.

"You're going to get a headache," he murmured.

"You know who's not going to get a headache? Ronnie. Because he's not here anymore," Caitlin replied and Barry winced at how dejected she sounded.

"Oh, Cait, he replied softly and she shrugged a shoulder.

"It's okay, everyone leaves me anyways," she replied before taking a long sip of wine. He pulled the glass away from her gently.

"That's not going to help with your pain," he murmured and she frowned.

"I feel pretty numb right now so it seems like it's working," she stated with a hiccup and Barry shook his head.

"The pain will still be there in the morning, along with a horrible hangover," he replied gently.

"That's why they invented Tylenol," she stated and he sighed.

"Talk to me, please," he said softly. She shook her head.

"I can't," she whispered but he nodded his head.

"Yes, yes you can," he replied back equally as soft and he took her hand and led her to the couch where he helped ease her down.

"I know you're sad, and that's okay, be sad. Just don't be sad on your own," he said.

Caitlin sucked in a wavering breath before nodding her head slowly, tears glistening in her eyes.

"I just miss him, so much," she whispered and he squeezed her hand.

"I barely got the chance to be his wife and now he's gone," she muttered.

"I'm so sorry, Caitlin," Barry murmured and watched as the first tear fell over, followed by a second.

"It's not fair," she whispered, "what did I do to deserve this pain?"

Barry shook his head. "Nothing."

"Why does everyone I love always leave me? My dad, Ronnie, my mom is still here but not here at the same time," she mumbled and Barry felt his heart break for her.

"I'm not going anywhere," he promised with conviction and she laughed humorlessly.

"You can't promise me that, Barry," she muttered.

"Yes, I can," he replied strongly. A couple more tears leaked out and down the tip of her nose as she reached for her wine glass again. He took hold of it and set it to the side.

"Don't, Cait," he murmured and she sighed.

"It helps," she muttered but he shook his head.

"No, it numbs you, there's a difference," he replied softly. She frowned before nodding her head.

"Alright," she whispered and he smiled at her gently.

"You know Ronnie loved you, right?" Barry asked quietly and a noise like a wounded animal escaped her mouth. Barry winced but held her hand tightly.

"He did," he promised softly and she wailed.

"It's not f-fair," she stuttered and he nodded his head.

"You're right, it's not," he whispered, "you've lost so much and that's not fair."

She shook her head as she swiped at her cheeks angrily.

"Is the pain ever going to go away?" Caitlin asked brokenly and he nodded his head.

"Yes," he replied firmly and she laughed skeptically.

"It will, believe me," he reiterated.

"It's going to take some time, and it's going to be a painful journey, but it will go away," he promised. She just looked at him.

"Barry, you c-can't l-leave me," she stuttered out, "I don't think I could survive if one more person I cared about left me."

"Lucky for me, I don't plan on going anywhere. I'm going to stay right here and make sure you get better, no matter how long that takes," he said gently. She nodded her head.

"Thank you," she whispered as she laid her head on his shoulder. He just wrapped his arm around her and pulled her in close in response. They sat in silence and it wasn't long before he felt her drift off to sleep. Not wanting to cross any boundaries, he laid her down gently on the couch instead of taking her to her bedroom. Then he pulled the blanket off the back of the couch and covered her gently, making sure the blanket was tucked around her securely. He then went to her bathroom and looked through her cabinets for some Tylenol and, after finding some, made his way back to her and set it down quietly on her coffee table, adding a glass of water. Not wanting to leave her to deal with the pain of a hangover and depression on her own in the morning, he eased himself down in the chair across from her couch, and drifted to sleep, knowing that it would be a long time before she felt better, but he would be with her every step of the way.

Author's note: Jesse, for you darling! I miss you! Hope you enjoy! XOXO


	16. Chapter 16

Caitlin smiled gratefully as Barry placed her coffee he had gotten for her next to her.

"Thanks, Barry," she murmured before taking a much needed sip of the hot beverage. The team had been up all night, trying to bring in a meta human and they finally had around dawn, and instead of deciding to call it a night, Caitlin had opted to remain back at the cortex and run some tests for Barry, figuring she'd just sleep when she finally did get home. Barry had tried to talk her into getting some sleep but she was adamant about getting the test results in that morning. So, he went home and slept for a while before returning to Star Labs with hot coffee from Jitters before his shift at the precinct.

She worked in silence, every once in a while taking a sip of her coffee. It wasn't until she felt Barry's eyes on her did she look up.

"What?" Caitlin asked softly and he just shook his head, as if mesmerized by her.

"You're….you're amazing, Cait," he murmured and Caitlin felt her cheeks grow warm.

"No, I'm not," she muttered trying to turn away from his gaze but he stilled her by placing his hand on her cheek.

"Yes, you are," he said gently and she stared at him.

"I mean, look at you. Look at everything you do for this team. You haven't slept since night before last and when you finally received the chance to go home to sleep, you stayed behind to run some tests for me, to make sure I'm safe," he stated in wonderment and Caitlin laughed softly.

"Of course I did, Barry," she murmured and it was his turn for his cheeks to grow red.

"See, that's what I mean. You care about everyone's safety, sometimes to the point where you forget about your safety," he said and she chuckled.

"Guilty," she agreed and he laughed.

"You also would do anything for your friends, without fail. You protect us fiercely and I just hope I protect you half as much," he said softly and she nodded her head.

"You do," she promised quietly. Something had shifted between the two of them in that moment and they stared at each other.

"Bar…"Caitlin began but he shook his head, silencing her.

"I don't know why it's taken me this long to work up the courage to tell you this Caitlin, but if I don't get it off my chest now, I may never, Caitlin, I love you," Barry said with conviction and the room had gone so quiet, Caitlin could've sworn she could hear a pen drop. She just stared at him.

"Please say something," Barry asked quietly.

"Barry Allen, you idiot, do you know how long I've been waiting for you to say those words?" Caitlin whispered as tears welled in her eyes. Barry laughed before she launched herself at him, kissing him fiercely. He held her tightly against him, returning the kiss with enthusiasm.

When they pulled apart, it took Caitlin a moment to catch her breath.

"By the way, I love you too," she said and he laughed.

They sat there, in a happy silence for a while, while Caitlin finished running her tests. Once done, she leaned towards Barry to kiss him gently but ended up turning at the last minute to yawn into her elbow.

"You're dead on your feet. Its time for the doctor to be taken care of and told to get home and get some rest," Barry murmured and she nodded her head.

"You're right," she agreed as she took the last sip of her coffee and tossing the cup in the trashcan. She stood up and he followed suit.

"Are you going to be okay to drive home given how tired you are?" Barry asked softly and she nodded her head.

"It's a twenty minute drive, caffeine won't be out of my system before then," she chuckled and Barry rolled his eyes fondly.

"Caffeine addict," he teased.

"And don't you forget it," Caitlin deadpanned. They stood there for another moment, looking at each other, before Barry brushed his lips across her forehead and hugged her tightly.

"Text me when you make it home safely? I'll be at the precinct and won't be able to answer a phone call until about noon," he said and she nodded her head.

"Of course," she replied gently and he walked with her to her car. Once she was in it and had it running, she rolled down her window and leaned on her arm.

"I'll see you around, Flash," Caitlin teased and Barry's eyes danced with amusement.

"See you around, sweetheart," he murmured. She backed out of the parking lot and headed down the road, turning up the radio and began humming along to the song that was playing. She still didn't remember seeing the lights flashing at her as a car ran a red light. All she felt was the impact of their car hitting hers', smashing in her shoulder before her head flung forward and hit the steering wheel. She welcomed the darkness with open arms.

She didn't know how long she was out of it for, but she awoke slowly and found herself lying in a bed. She glanced around and saw two strange men sitting next to her. She frowned as one of them ran his thumb along her collar bone.

"How are you feeling, Cait?" He murmured and Caitlin frowned.

"Wha-who…water," she coughed out and he immediately grabbed the cup next to her on her night stand and pressed it to her lips. She took a long drink before slumping back on the pillows.

"My head," she groaned as a massive pounding took over her skull. She looked back at the guys who were occupying the chairs next to her bed and frowned.

"Who are you?" Caitlin asked quietly and watched as they exchanged panicky looks.

"Cait, that's not funny," the guy with the longer hair said and she frowned.

"Good thing I'm being serious," she muttered and that guy was out of his chair in an instant and running to the door to her room.

"Doctor, we need help in here!" He shouted and doctor came in.

"Caitlin, you're awake," he smiled at her and she frowned.

"Wha-what happened?" Caitlin asked uncertainly and all three of them looked at each other before the doctor smiled gently at her.

"What do you remember, Caitlin?" The doctor asked and she wracked her brains.

"Nothing," she replied after a moment of thinking.

"What's your name?" Caitlin asked the doctor and he smiled.

"You can call me Charlie," he replied.

"Caitlin, do you know what year it is?" Charlie asked and Caitlin thought it over before shaking her head.

"No," she whispered in a panic. Why couldn't she remember what year it was?

"What's the last thing you do remember, Caitlin?" Charlie asked and she thought it over.

"I just graduated college a few months ago," she replied and the two guys sitting next to her jaws dropped.

"Caitlin, that was about six years ago," the one with the long hair replied softly.

"Six years ago?" Caitlin demanded incredulously and he nodded his head.

"Did I lose my memory in the car accident?" Caitlin whispered and Charlie sighed.

"It looks like you may have developed amnesia," he stated and she blinked back tears. The brunette hair guy who had been quiet up until now grabbed her hand tightly. She looked at their hands entangled together and didn't feel the need to pull away. She looked back up at the doctor.

"Do you know how long it's going to last?" Caitlin asked.

Charlie shook his head. "There's no time table with these sort've head injuries. Your memory could come back in an hour, a day, a week, or months from now."

Caitlin couldn't help it as the first tear fell and the brunette hair boy was quick to swipe it away.

"Can you give us a few moments?" He asked and the doctor nodded his head

"I'll come back and check in on you in about half an hour. Talk things over with your two friends," Charlie said quietly before walking out and Caitlin looked at the two guys.

"What are your names?" Caitlin hesitantly asked and they both smiled painfully at her.

"I'm Cisco," the one with thing long hair murmured and she looked at the brunette.

"I'm Barry," he whispered and Caitlin could hear pain coloring his tone. Pain for what, she didn't know.

"Barry and Cisco," she tried out, hoping they'd sound familiar to her. Nothing. She glanced down at her body and realized her arm was in a sling and looked at Cisco questioningly.

"Dislocated shoulder, happened on impact," he muttered and she nodded.

They sat there for the half hour, with Barry and Cisco catching her up to speed on everything she couldn't remember but it still all seemed pretty useless to her. Charlie returned not too long after that.

"How are we doing, Caitlin?" Charlie asked softly and Caitlin thought about it for a moment before settling on a feeling.

"I'm confused," she muttered and he smiled sympathetically.

"These sort've traumatic head injuries can often leave someone feeling confused and isolated. That'll pass the more you spend time with your friends and family," he responded and she sighed.

She didn't know either one of these guys sitting next to her; her dad had died; her mom and she didn't get along. She wasn't sure if she was going to be able to get through this.

"When can I go home?" Caitlin asked, at least aware enough to know that she had an apartment in the city. She had bought it for herself as a graduation present. Charlie looked at her.

"I really don't feel comfortable just sending you home without anyone there to help you. You could hurt yourself and recovery could move backwards," he said. Barry quickly spoke up.

"Cisco and I could stay with her, make sure she's safe," he confirmed and Cisco nodded his head. Caitlin stared at the two of them before sighing. It was the best option she was going to get.

"I'm certainly alright with that if you are," Charlie replied and Caitlin nodded her head.

"I am," she murmured. It was decided she would go home the next day, with pain medication and strict instructions to take it easy, along with strict instructions to go back to the hospital if she felt any migraines that lasted more than a few hours.

Before she knew it, she was bundled in Cisco's car, with Barry in the backseat and they were leaving the hospital. Caitlin tried to listen to everything Cisco pointed out to her but she was pretty lost. Barry seemed to notice and placed his hand lightly on her shoulder and squeezed it comfortingly. She was in for a long road of recovery.

A few weeks passed and the three of them had fallen into routine. Caitlin and Barry would spend hours going over memories they shared. Barry would tell her about their jobs at Star Labs, something that left her absolutely ecstatic because that's exactly where she had envisioned herself working in college. The only difference was apparently the Particle Accelerator had gone off and several people had gotten powers. She wasn't too sure she could believe that until he showed her how fast he could run, then promptly made her swear to not tell anyone. She hadn't.

Whenever he had to go to work, Cisco would come in, making sure she wasn't alone, and run through their memories together. It was all becoming routine for her. She just felt bad she couldn't put the pieces together for herself.

One night, too many weeks to count later, Caitlin and Barry were sitting side by side on the couch, going through some pictures, when Caitlin suddenly stopped him.

"Why do I get the feeling we had a past?" Caitlin asked curiously and Barry looked at her before smiling softly.

"We did. Or, we had the beginning of one. The day you had your accident was the day I told you I loved you," he replied and Caitlin felt her heart flutter warmly.

"I wish I could remember," she murmured and Barry sighed.

"Yeah, so do I," he muttered and she winced at his tone.

"I'm s-sorry, I am trying," she whispered and he shook his head quickly.

"I know you are," he murmured and she sighed. She left the conversation there, thinking over some things.

"The car ran a red light," she said suddenly and Barry nodded.

"Yeah, I know-wait, how do you know that?" Barry demanded and she stared at him.

"I don't know, it just came to me," she whispered, unsure of what this meant.

"Caitlin, this important, can you remember anything else about that day?" Barry asked and she frowned as she thought, trying to force the memories to the forefront of her mind. After a few moments of hard thinking, one peeked through.

"I-I called you an idiot and asked you why it took you so long to tell me you loved me?" Caitlin asked uncertainly and Barry laughed.

"Yes, you did," he said and she exhaled shakily.

"What else?" Barry whispered and Caitlin thought hard.

"I'm a doctor. And I like to yell at you whenever you hurt yourself during missions," she stated, once again feeling like this was a true memory.

Barry kissed her gently before hugging her tightly.

"Oh my god, yes, yes," he breathed out and she laughed softly.

"That's all I can really remember right now, but it's a start," she murmured and he hugged her tightly one more time.

"Yes, it's definitely a start," he agreed.

It was definitely a start.

Author's note: I really liked this prompt and may eventually make it into a full length story, don't know. Remember, leave a comment if you have a prompt and I'll try to get to it XOXO


	17. Chapter 17

"Let's run through the plan one more time," Caitlin said and Barry rolled his eyes. She knew he was livid about her going undercover but to be honest, she didn't really give a damn. She was the only one who could pull this mission off unscathed. A few weeks prior, a new meta human had come into town, wreaking havoc on anyone and everyone that he could. The only problem? He was basically a human chameleon and could blend in with crowds very easily. Barry had had huge difficulty with trying to locate him so had asked Caitlin to come up with a serum that would prohibit him from accessing his powers. Then, as luck would have it, the chameleon had landed right in her lap one fateful night. He had walked into her outside of Jitters and had asked her on a date, claiming they were both passionate scientists and looked passed what the outer eye could see. Knowing this was her only chance to get him alone and inject him with the serum, she agreed.

Tonight, was the night of her date and she was running through the final plans with Cisco and an angry Barry.

"I still don't get why you're so frustrated, Barry," she said plainly and he sighed.

"I'm frustrated because you're going into a date with a rogue meta human. Alone." Barry stated and Caitlin resisted the temptation to roll her eyes.

"Relax, Cisco's given me an extra set of ears and him and Harry will be outside of the restaurant if anything goes south. Which it won't. Stop worrying." Caitlin said. Barry just folded his arms across his chest and let out a dramatic sigh. Resisting the temptation to laugh at him, Caitlin looked at Cisco.

"Are we all set, Cisco?" Caitlin asked her friend and the scientist nodded his head.

"Yes," he replied, holding up what looked like two hearing aids.

"These bad boys will allow you to hear us coach you through the date. Remember, tonight you're Caitlin Snow, science major with the hopes of getting her masters in bio engineering," Cisco told her and she nodded her head as she placed the hearing devices in her ear. Cisco held up his little mouth piece and spoke directly into it.

"Can you hear me, Caitlin?" Cisco asked, except it sounded like he had shouted it, he was so close to her.

"Loud and clear, Cisco," she winced and backed away from him a few paces. He frowned sympathetically and lowered the mouth piece away from his mouth.

"Sorry," he murmured and she laughed gently as she shook her head.

She glanced around one last time to make sure she had everything she needed before nodding her head.

"I'm ready, let's go," she murmured to Cisco and began walking out. Barry stilled her.

"Wait, Cait," he muttered and she looked at him inquisitively.

"What?" Caitlin asked softly and he seemed torn. He took a deep breath and dropped his hand from her shoulder.

"Just…be careful out there alright? If you even think you're going to be in danger, don't hesitate to get yourself out of that situation. I don't care if that means you suddenly get up and go running out of the restaurant, screaming your head off. Harry and Cisco will help you alright?" Barry asked softly and she nodded her head. She knew it worried him more than he was trying to let on to not be in the van with Harry and Cisco. However, it was decided it was best if he didn't appear or show himself as the Flash because then the chameleon would flee that much quicker. No, this was something she had to do on her own. Smiling softly, she squeezed his hand.

"It'll be fine," she promised gently and he nodded his head with a deep sigh.

"You guys better go," he muttered and Cisco hummed his agreement before offering his arm to Caitlin. She shook her head fondly as she looped her arm through his' and they made their way out of the cortex and to her car. After getting inside, Cisco climbed into the van Harry was already waiting in. The plain was for Caitlin to get to the restaurant ten minutes before them so they didn't raise any suspicions. She took a deep breath and pulled out of the parking lot, praying that she was right in assuring Barry he had nothing to worry about.

The first part of the date went off without a hitch. She met her date, (Andrew), at the restaurant right on time and the waitress led them to their table. It was a casual restaurant, something Caitlin had been hoping for. She didn't want to have to be in a fancy setting tonight, not with what she was hoping to accomplish. With any luck, the date would be over in an hour and Andrew would want a kiss goodnight. Then Caitlin could inject the serum into his neck. That was the plan anyway.

"So, Caitlin, tell me a little bit more about your love for science," Andrew asked and she smiled as she took a sip of her tea.

"Well, I've been fascinated with science ever since I was a little girl. My father instilled the love of science into me at an early age," she commented, remembering back on simpler times. Andrew nodded his head.

"And you're getting your masters in bio engineering?" Andrew asked and Caitlin smiled.

"That's the plan," she responded softly, hoping to keep him distracted long enough to keep him in a good mood. They continued talking over the course of their meal and well into dessert, with Harry prompting along the conversation occasionally, in her ear, but, for the most part, Caitlin was dictating the entire mission. By the time the meal was over, she was certain that end of the date kiss was a sealed deal. Andrew stood up from the table and offered her his hand. She took it with a smile and they walked out of the restaurant and to her car.

Caitlin knew the serum was tucked in her sweater and knew she'd have no difficulty getting it if Andrew kissed her. It was all set and stone.

"So, Caitlin," Andrew began, "have you always had extra eyes on your dates before?"

Caitlin froze as she looked at him.

"W-what?" Caitlin asked and Andrew smiled pleasantly.

"I just happened to notice the listening devices in your ears and put two and two together. Tell me, dear girl, haven't you noticed you haven't heard from your friends in the past ten minutes?" Andrew asked and Caitlin felt her heart sink.

"What'd you do?" Caitlin demanded and Andrew smiled softly.

"You have your extra set of ears, I have mine," he replied and Caitlin stared at him, feeling terrified.

"Don't you think it's funny that I would happen to meet Caitlin Snow, Star Labs extraordinaire at Jitters one day?" Andrew asked and Caitlin suddenly felt queasy.

"You had all of this planned, didn't you?" Caitlin whispered and Andrew flashed her a wicked grin.

"Down to the sweet tea you drank," he replied and Caitlin frowned in confusion.

"My tea? What does that have anything to do with this?" Caitlin asked and Andrew looked at his watch.

"Oh, I'd say in about three minutes you're going to find out," he murmured and Caitlin stared at him.

"What'd you give me?" Caitlin demanded, wondering if the dizziness she suddenly felt had anything to do with it or if it was solely from her fear.

"A fast acting poison. How do you think the Flash will feel if his friend died and he couldn't do anything to save her?" Andrew smiled and Caitlin felt beads of sweat appear along her forehead.

"How do you know I'm friends with him?" Caitlin asked as steadily as she could but her knees were shaking and she was finding it difficult to hold herself up. Andrew seemed to notice because he placed his hand on her forearm and eased her down.

"Don't worry, Caitlin, you'll be dead soon. It really was nothing personal, I just needed the Flash to feel excruciating pain," Andrew murmured and Caitlin tried to focus on slowing her heart down. She knew she had mere moments now and she'd be damned if she didn't get the last word in.

"Go to hell," she spat out and Andrew smirked. The last thing Caitlin saw before she was a victim of the darkness was what looked like yellow electricity. Before she could think too much on it, the darkness swept her under.

"Caitlin, Cait. Can you hear me?" A soft voice was tugging her back to consciousness and she blinked her eyes open tiredly. She stared around a few moments before Barry came into focus.

"I'm not dead." Caitlin stated.

"Not today," Barry replied gently and she smiled as much as she could.

"I knew I saw electricity," she murmured and he nodded his head as he held a cup with a straw to her lips.

"It's water, please drink some," Barry said softly and she didn't argue the idea. She sipped some water and felt it instantly ease her dry throat.

"How'd you find out?" Caitlin asked. Barry smiled half a smile before sighing.

"By the time I got to the other side of town, I realized I needed to be exactly where you were. When I couldn't get a hold of Harry or Cisco, that just confirmed it.

"Cisco!" Caitlin exclaimed as she sat up and swung her legs off the side of the medical bay she was in. Barry pushed her back down gently.

"Easy, Cait, he's alright. Andrew's men knocked him out but he doesn't even have a concussion. He's more worried about you," Barry said soothingly and that eased some of Caitlin's anxiety.

"Good," she breathed out and adjusted herself against her pillows.

"How'd you get a serum to counteract the poison?" Caitlin asked tiredly and Barry sighed.

"We almost didn't. We were almost too late," he whispered and Caitlin squeezed his hand.

"But?" Caitlin prompted.

"But, Harry got it together at the last second after we raced you here. I got Andrew unconscious long enough to get in the pipeline," Barry said softly.

"I didn't even get to inject him with the serum. I really wanted to do that," Caitlin admitted with a frown and Barry laughed softly.

"Well, since you are the one who made the serum, I thought it was only fitting that you got to inject him. Just promise me one thing, Caitlin," Barry murmured.

"Hmm?" Caitlin asked as her eyes closed once again.

"Never go undercover again," Barry muttered.

Caitlin, despite how tired she was, laughed.

Author's note: One prompt I could get to. Hope you like it!


	18. Chapter 18

Caitlin stumbled into Star Labs, trying to get the blood that was seeping out of her abdomen to stop. She couldn't believe she had been careless enough to get herself stabbed. Shaking her head in frustration, she stopped in the cortex, by the medical bay, and go to work stitching herself up. Only problem was she couldn't get the blood to stop long enough to get the stitches in.

"Dammit," she groaned, trying to force herself to stay awake long enough to stich herself up. She was utterly thankful she was the only one in the labs at this late hour; she didn't really have the energy to explain what happened. Taking a deep breath, she placed the towel she had gotten back to her wound and pressed down tightly, wondering if the light headedness she felt was an ominous sign or not.

She succeeded in getting the blood to stop long enough to get the first stitch in and whimpered against the pain she had felt. Normally, if someone needed surgery they were unconscious for it and there was some form of pain medication involved with the process. This time, she had to stay awake because she was performing the surgery on herself. Taking steady breathes, she steadily stitched herself up, praying that she'd be able to finish this, clean up the blood splatters all over the floor that had dripped from her wound, and make it home before anyone else came in for the day.

"Caitlin?" Barry's soft voice interrupted her thoughts and she glanced up, terrified.

"B-Barry?" Caitlin asked as she turned away from him, trying to hide the mess she had made with fumbling fingers.

"What are you doing here this late?" Barry asked as he walked towards her. She shifted a step away from him in response.

"N-nothing," she replied shakily and Barry sighed as he placed a hand on her shoulder, stilling her.

"What's got you so afraid-is that blood?" Barry demanded and she winced at his tone.

"Uh…yes," she replied as the lightheadedness returned full force. Barry must've noticed by the look on her face because he eased her down onto the medical bay.

"Easy, Cait, stay with me," he murmured and she nodded her head tiredly.

"We've got to get you to the hospital," he muttered but she shook her head.

"No, please don't, he'll know to look for me there," she whispered and Barry scowled.

"Who will know to look for you there?" Barry demanded and Caitlin sighed.

"The man who did this to me," she mumbled.

"What happened, Cait?" Barry asked softly but she shook her head.

"I can't tell you. I've got to finish stitching this up and then go home," she muttered tiredly.

Barry shook his head.

"You can finish stitching it up but then I want you to stay here and sleep so I can keep an eye on you, alright?" Barry murmured and she thought about it before nodding her head.

"Might be a good idea to get an IV going," she agreed. Barry pushed the sweaty hair that had fallen on her forehead away as she went back to stitching herself up.

"Barry, can you hold the towel against the wound?" Caitlin asked quietly as she concentrated. Barry simply complied by placing his hands firmly against the towel and pushing in. She worked meticulously on each stitch, determined to make sure they were even and straight. Eventually, she sewed the last part of her skin back together and dropped her hands tiredly.

"Thank you," she mumbled, eyes drooping down. Barry shook her shoulder gently.

"Hey, Cait, you've got to get an IV going, remember?" Barry reminded her softly and she nodded her head as she opened her eyes.

"Oh yeah," she muttered and stood up, with Barry placing his hand firmly on the small of her back, and walked over to the rest of her medical supplies in the bay. She shifted through her supplies before finding what she was looking for. She set up the IV and plunged the needle into her hand, making sure she had a steady stream of antibiotics coursing through her. Then she rolled the IV, along with herself, back to the bed in the bay and sat down tiredly. Barry eased her onto her back and pulled the blanket up over her.

"Sleep, alright? I'm not going anywhere," he said gently and she nodded her head, eyes already fluttering closed.

It was several hours later that found Caitlin waking up. She glanced around and spotted Barry sitting next to her bed, with the chair pulled up incredibly close, sleeping.

"Barry," she murmured and watched as his nose scrunched up and smiled softly.

"Barry, wake up," she said again and he blinked his eyes open.

"I swear I only closed my eyes for two minutes," he muttered groggily and Caitlin smiled slightly.

"You should go home, sleep in a proper bed," she murmured but he shook his head stubbornly.

"I'll go home when you do," he replied and she dropped it, knowing there was no point in arguing with the stubborn speedster. She glanced around, trying to remember what exactly happened before sighing. Barry rubbed his thumb across her knuckles soothingly.

"Tell me who did this to you," he murmured and she studied him before nodding.

"I was at the grocery store, walking back to my car, when I heard a woman screaming. I ran to her as fast as I could and saw a man trying to take her purse. He slapped her across the face and she went down so I ran to him and tried to get the purse away from him but he was stronger than me," Caitlin sighed and Barry squeezed her hand comfortingly. She took a deep breath and ploughed on.

"It all happened so fast," she muttered, "one minute I was trying to snatch the purse from him, the next he pulled out a knife and stabbed it into me."

Barry's eyes clouded over with hatred and he hissed.

"Why didn't you call the cops?" Barry growled and Caitlin sighed.

"He said he'd come after me if I did, then fled. I knew I had about ten minutes to make it to Star Labs so, got in my car and sped the whole way here. Luckily the grocery store isn't that far from here," she added with a dry chuckle.

"You know the rest," she finished quietly and Barry sighed.

"Caitlin, you can't play the hero," he murmured and she nodded her head.

"I know that, I do. I just thought someone should try and help that woman out. She sounded so terrified," she said in a small voice and Barry ran his thumb along her knuckles again.

"You're amazing, Caitlin Snow," he smiled at her and she felt a blush paint her cheeks. She dipped her head in thanks, regardless.

"I want you to at least think on taking some self-defense or kickboxing classes, alright? Help protect yourself," Barry added and Caitlin thought about it before nodding her head.

"I will," she promised quietly.

"How are you feeling?" Barry asked softly after a few moments of silence.

"Like I got stabbed and had to stitch myself back up," she said tiredly and Barry frowned sympathetically.

"Get some more sleep, I'll still be here. We've got a couple more hours until everyone gets here and I can flash you back to your apartment before then. You get to call in sick for the next few days," Barry replied and she think she may have smiled as she closed her eyes and let sleep overcome her once again.

Author's note: Prompt I received! Hope you like it! Remember, I take prompts in the comments. XOXO


	19. Chapter 19

Caitlin had never been one to admit defeat before or that she needed help when it came to be being sick, which was why she hadn't told anyone on the team that she was sick. She knew they wouldn't know how to deal with it, especially Cisco, and that they'd be more of a hindrance than a help. No, it was better if she didn't tell anyone. That's why she went to all her doctor appointments alone, trying to get a grasp on her illness. She wasn't sure how much longer she had left, but she'd be damned if she didn't help her team out as best she could.

She took a sip of her coffee, letting the hot beverage warm her from head to toe, hoping it'd help wake her up more. She hadn't been sleeping much, something the doctors told her would happen with her leukemia. She sighed as she thought about that word. She had always been a person to take her health very seriously, making sure she took her vitamins and ate all the right foods. Sometimes, these things just couldn't be helped. Her body had betrayed her, had become weak. She was often left feeling frustrated after each doctor's appointment, with no hope of feeling better. The doctors tried to encourage her that was just the disease talking but Caitlin knew better; knew she was walking on borrowed time.

Just then, the rest of her friends entered the cortex and she smiled as much as she could. She would fight tooth and nail for them to not figure out what was going on with her, especially Barry. He had enough worries on his plate; she didn't need to add to his endless list. Barry smiled at her when he caught her watching them and made his way over.

"Always the first one here," he commented fondly.

"Always," she chuckled and the two friends shared a smirk. Barry and she had been dancing a fine line lately; not quite sure what they were but knowing it was more than friends. She consistently worried about him whenever he was in the field and he consistently worried about her in general. It was something the two of them had bonded over. Barry studied her for a moment.

"Are you alright, Cait? You look a little pale, are you feeling alright?" Barry asked softly and she nodded as much as her tired limbs would allow her.

"Perfectly fine," she murmured before coughing into her elbow, "just didn't get much sleep last night."

Barry frowned. "Do you want to go home and sleep? I'm sure the team can survive without you for one day."

Caitlin chuckled. "That's alright. Even the superheroes need their team members."

Barry raised no more objections after that and wordlessly nodded his head in agreement; Caitlin let out a breath of relief and turned to the rest of their team.

"There's a pot of fresh coffee with your name written all over it, Cisco," she murmured and the engineer flashed her a grin.

"Knew you were my favorite for a reason," he replied and she just laughed. She coughed again and Barry frowned.

"That really doesn't sound good, Cait. Are you sure you don't want to go home? You wouldn't be missing much, there's no meta human activity as of now," he stated and Caitlin just shook her head.

"I'm fine, Barry, really," she insisted and he dropped it after one last frown sent her way. The team then split up to do their own thing and Caitlin was left to think about what her life had come to. Endless doctor appointments, endless needles being injected into her body as they took blood sample after blood sample. It was all becoming redundant and tiring. She missed the days of being healthy, missed the days of not having to schedule doctor appointments. Sighing, she took another sip of her coffee.

Just then, she coughed again, harsher and longer than she had before and every head turned to look at her. She tried to wave them off; tell them she was fine. However, she was coughing so much she couldn't catch her breath. Barry ran to her and helped ease her into a chair.

"Easy, Cait, easy," he soothed but she just kept coughing.

"Is that blood?" Cisco demanded and Caitlin looked at her hands, which were, in fact, covered in blood. She tried to tell them it was fine, nothing to worry about, but this was clearly something to worry about. If she could only stop coughing, she felt like she'd have a better case to present. She tried to catch her breath but the coughing left her feeling lightheaded and weak, something Barry picked up on.

"Okay, just try to breath," he encouraged her softly as he tucked her hair behind her ear.

She wanted to tell him that she couldn't, that it was impossible, but even that was impossible; so, she just continued to cough. Barry had finally had enough and scooped her up in his arms-she tried not to get blood on him.

"I'm taking her to the hospital. Cisco, meet us there," he stated.

"N-no," Caitlin said but couldn't say why she didn't want that to happen.

"Shh," Barry said softly and she nodded tiredly as he flashed them out of the cortex and to the hospital. Once there, he slowed down and ran in at a normal pace.

"I need some help here!" Barry shouted and a nurse at the front desk looked up.

"Ms. Snow?" She called in alarm.

"How does she know you?" Barry whispered but Caitlin was too tired to explain, now that her coughing had finally stopped. The nurse wheeled a chair to Barry and he placed Caitlin in it.

"I'm Katy, the head nurse on Caitlin's team. What happened?" Katy demanded.

"I-I'm not sure. She just stared coughing up blood. Is she going to be alright?" Barry whispered and Katy vaguely nodded.

"I'm going to make sure she's alright," she murmured before looking at Barry, "I'm going to take her back now. You need to stay here."

"I can't leave her alone," Barry said disbelievingly but Katy shook her head.

"She's in good hands. The best you can do for her is wait here until we can get you some answers," she replied sternly and Barry sighed before agreeing.

"I'll be right out here, Caitlin," he promised softly and she nodded tiredly. Then, she was wheeled away and the last thing she saw before she turned the corner was Barry's face, etched with worry. Then she passed out, welcoming the darkness with eager arms.

Caitlin came to sometime later and realized she was in a bed. It wasn't that comfortable so she realized it wasn't her bed. Then she remembered what happened and sighed.

"You're awake," a soft voice murmured and Caitlin glanced around to see Barry sitting next to her, eyes red rimmed.

"Are you crying?" Caitlin asked softly and he nodded as a few more tears escaped.

"Leukemia?" Barry asked brokenly and Caitlin felt her heart clench.

"Oh, Barry," she murmured and he squeezed her hand.

"Why didn't you tell us, Cait?" Barry whispered and she sighed.

"I didn't want to become a burden," she muttered and he let a few more tears slip passed.

"You're not a burden," he promised with conviction and Caitlin looked at him for a long moment before nodding. She sat in silence for a moment before Barry squeezed her hand again.

"I talked to Dr. Peterson, and he said your body has stopped responding to the certain treatment you were being given," he murmured and Caitlin sighed.

"That's what I was afraid of," she laughed humorlessly and tried to blink passed the tears that had gathered in the corner of her eyes. Barry watched her.

"Tell me where your head is at, Cait," he encouraged softy but she shook her head.

"I can't, Barry," she whispered but he simply nodded.

"Yes, yes you can," he said equally as quiet and she blinked back the tears harder. With his hand a constant on hers', she nodded her head slowly.

"It's just not fair," she began, "what did I do to deserve this? I take care of myself, am incredibly healthy. It's not fair."

Barry sighed. "You're right, it's not. You've lost so much in your life, it's not fair that you must deal with this, too. But, we're going to fight it together."

She looked at him. "Don't make promises you might not be able to keep."

"Trust me, I can keep this promise. I'm not going anywhere," he replied firmly and Caitlin searched his face, trying to detect any signs of dishonesty. When she couldn't find any, she relented with a sigh.

"Alright," she murmured, "together."

After all, that's how they had always faced their battles, and now was no different. She knew she was still in for a long ride, still in for a lot of pain. However, with Barry, she hoped she'd be able to handle it better than she had been. Smilingly slightly, she let sleep overcome here once more, not feeling quite well, but better than she had in a long time. And that was enough for her.

Author's note: One shot prompt I received. Hope you like it.


	20. Chapter 20

Caitlin wasn't scared, not really. Apprehensive was the better word. Here she was, at the pool with the rest of the Star Labs group and she was apprehensive. Apprehensive about what? The fact that she had never learned how to swim and everybody else was in the pool and she was sitting in one of the chairs on the side.

"Cait, c'mon! Get in here with us," Cisco called to her but she just smiled thinly and shook her head tightly.

"Maybe later," she called back and he sighed. She sighed, too. She wishes she had taken up her dad's offer to teach her how to swim when she was a little girl but she was as afraid of the water then as she is now. She watched as Barry got out of the pool and made his way over to her. He smiled at her before crouching down next to her.

"Don't you want to go swimming with us, Cait?" Barry asked softly and she looked at him before cutting her eyes to the pool and licked her lips nervously.

"I-I'm good," she muttered.

"Come on, it's no fun when you're the only one not joining in on the festivities!" Barry laughed and Caitlin sighed. Maybe if she got into the shallow end and held onto the wall, she could just…sort of float there.

"Alright," she murmured as she stood up. She took off her swimsuit cover and made her way hesitantly towards the pool. As soon as she reached the edge of the deep end, she looked down into the water fearfully. There was no way in hell that she was ever going to be in that side of the pool. She began to ease away from the edge of the pool, with the idea of going to the shallow end in mind. Too bad Barry had other plans.

"Nope, you're going to stay down here with us Caitlin," he laughed and picked her up.

Caitlin felt fear bubble up into her throat and was just about to scream to be put down when Barry tossed her into the pool. It was like a tidal wave rushing over her head. She flailed her arms, trying to propel herself up to the surface but it was useless; she was sinking further down to the bottom. She heard Iris screaming, Cisco shouting, and a splash as someone jumped in. She wondered who it was. Just then a warm arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her tightly into their body, anchoring her in place, and pulled her to the surface. As soon as her head was above the water, she began coughing and spluttering.

"Easy, Cait, you're alright," a warm voice said and Caitlin coughed water out of her lungs harshly. She felt someone dragging her to the edge of the pool and placed her hands on the edge, before hoisting themselves out. Then they grabbed her arms and pulled her out. Barry eased her onto the ground as she continued to cough.

"Get all the water out, Cait," Barry instructed as he rubbed her back. She coughed for what felt like hours, trying to ignore the shaking in her legs. Once she felt like she had expelled all the water from her system, she breathed deeply and looked at Barry.

"Uh…" she trailed off sheepishly as he wrapped a towel around her and ran his hands up and down her arms firmly. She hadn't noticed that Cisco and Iris had gotten out of the pool, too. She sighed.

"Why didn't you tell us you didn't know how to swim?" Barry asked softly and Caitlin sighed.

"I was embarrassed," she muttered. Barry squeezed her hand.

"Cait, I'm so sorry I threw you into the deep end," he murmured and she shook her head firmly.

"You didn't know," she replied with conviction but he was adamant.

"No, I should've asked if you would've been comfortable with that instead of just assuming. That was wrong of me and you had to suffer the consequences," he muttered. Caitlin knew he wouldn't forgive himself anytime soon so just squeezed his hand.

"I'm not mad at you, Barry," she stated. He couldn't make eye contact with her and she sighed. She knew that he would be frustrated with himself and that it would be awhile before he would even begin to consider forgiving himself so she turned her attention on Cisco and Iris who were looking at her in concern.

"Are you alright, Cait?" Cisco asked seriously and she nodded her head.

"Perfectly fine," she promised softly and he smiled at her hesitantly.

"Guess we need to get you floaties, huh?" Cisco asked lightly and everyone but Barry laughed.

"Guess so," Caitlin agreed warmly. It was decided that Caitlin didn't have to get back into the pool so she gratefully made her way back over to the seat she was in and sat down. She watched as all of them got back into the pool, Barry included, but he was more subdued and kept giving Caitlin frequent glances of worry. It made nerves coil tightly in her belly. Sighing, she eventually got up and made her way back to the pool, where she sat down on the edge ad dipped her toes in.

"Barry?" Caitlin asked and he was next to her so quickly she thought he must've flashed to her.

"Yes?" Barry asked softly and she bit her lip as she glanced around the water.

"Want-want to try and teach me some of the basics of swimming?" Caitlin asked bravely and Barry smiled slightly at her before growing serious once more.

"Are you sure, Cait? Don't feel pressured to learn how to swim just because we know how," he replied softly. She glanced around at the water once more before nodding her head firmly.

"I'm sure," she replied and was she ever proud her voice didn't waver. He looked at her before smiling warmly.

"I'm going to swim to where it's a bit more shallow, alright? I'll teach you some basics over there so it eliminates some of the possibility of you sinking to the bottom," he said and she nodded. She walked over to where the water was about five feet deep and eased herself in, holding onto the railing by the stairs tightly. Barry wrapped his arm around her waist, easing her away from the stairs. Her breathing hitched.

"Do you trust me, Cait?" Barry asked softly.

"Yes," she replied with conviction.

"Then trust me to not let anything happen to you," he murmured and she nodded as she let go of the rail completely. Barry kept his arm around her as he pulled her towards the middle of the water.

"Tell me if your feet can touch the bottom of the pool," he said and she stretched her feet, waiting to see if her toes skimmed the bottom. She grinned when they did.

"I can stand," she confirmed.

"Alright, good. I'm going to let you go so I can show you how to move your arms enough to let yourself stay afloat, alright?" Barry asked and Caitlin nodded her head. He unwrapped his arm from her waist and spent the next few minutes showing her how to paddle her arms and feet; she watched him intently, trying to memorize every movement he taught her.

When it was her turn, she mimicked each movement to the best of her ability and was surprised when she found out she was swimming.

"Good job, Cait," Barry praised and she grinned triumphantly. She swam around for a bit longer before making her way towards the shallow end. She stood up and looked towards Barry who had followed her.

"Thanks, Barry," she murmured.

"For what?" Barry asked curiously and she shrugged.

"For teaching me how to swim; for not making fun of me," she replied and he shook his head firmly.

"I'd never make fun of you, Cait," he stated and she smiled.

Nothing more was said, but then again, nothing more needed to be said. They spent the rest of the day laughing and swimming, (or holding onto the rail when her legs grew tired), and just having a good time. Caitlin decided that swimming wasn't so horrible after all, something Barry picked up on. They shared a secret smile, and that was enough for Caitlin to keep her happy for the weeks to come.

Author's note: SnowCaitlin, hope you like! Remember, I accept prompts in the comments, (might not be able to get to all of them), and have a new story called Anchor if you wish to read it. XOXO


	21. Chapter 21

"Barry? It's Caitlin," Barry heard Cisco's voice waver, and he gripped his phone closer to his ear, straining to hear.

"Cisco, what about Caitlin?" Barry demanded, determined to understand why his friend sounded so panicked.

"Its…there's been an accident. Caitlin's been involved in an accident. She's at the hospital. It's bad, Barry, it's really bad," Cisco muttered. In that moment, Barry felt the earth drop beneath him, and he had to latch onto his kitchen counter to support himself. His mind was a jumbled mess, but he managed to grasp onto words like, Caitlin, accident, and bad. He nodded his head mutely, before clearing his throat.

"I'll be there soon, hold on, okay?" Barry replied.

"Yeah, man. Just, hurry, alright?" Cisco asked.

"Already on my way," Barry said before clicking off the phone. Grabbing his wallet quickly, Barry ran to his front door, before hurriedly stepping outside of his apartment, and locking his door. A quick glance around the hallway told him no one was outside of their apartment. Perfect. He flashed off the moment he heard the lock click in place, running as fast as he ever had to the hospital. He showed up moments later. Catching his breath behind the hospital, he took a moment to calm his rattled nerves, before running into the building at a normal pace. He spotted Cisco sitting near the front desk, and immediately called out to him.

"Cisco!"

Cisco's head popped up, and Barry noticed how relief flooded through his orbs.

"Thank God, you're here," Cisco muttered as soon as he was standing next to him, pushing his shoulder length hair behind his ears.

"What do we know?" Barry asked, not wanting to waste a second more.

"Caitlin was run off the road," Cisco whispered, and Barry felt his heart clench.

"By who?" Barry demanded darkly, and Cisco shrugged apologetically.

"Harry's working on it," he said quietly, and Barry sighed, before nodding his head.

"What do we know in terms of Cait's condition?" Barry prompted.

"She's in surgery. It-It didn't look good for her when they first brought her in, so I was told," Cisco whispered, and Barry felt his heart stop.

"And now?" Barry asked fearfully, hoping to God he wasn't about to get even more bad news; he didn't think he could handle it.

"The nurse said she'd come talk to me when Caitlin was in her recovery room," Cisco explained, but that wasn't good enough for Barry.

"Cisco, I can't just sit by and wait for them to give us news on our best friend," Barry exclaimed. He glanced around, and spotted a nurse walking down the hallway. He rushed up to her.

"Excuse me, but I was wondering if there was any news on Caitlin Snow?" Barry asked. The nurse looked at him, before looking at Cisco, who had appeared silently behind him, and shook her head.

"Not yet," she murmured apologetically.

"That's not good enough," Barry snapped impatiently. The nurse, (her tag read Amy), raised an eyebrow.

"Well, that's all I can give you for now," Amy replied coolly. "I suggest you take a seat, young man, and wait until I can give you the answers you're seeking."

Barry opened his mouth to say something else, but Cisco elbowed him in the ribs.

"Don't push it," he muttered, before turning to look at the nurse. "Thanks for all your help, Amy. Just let us know when you can tell us something."

Cisco grabbed Barry by the arm then, and steered him towards the seats in the waiting room. Barry sat down in a huff, legs dancing impatiently.

"Calm down, dude," Cisco said, and Barry cut his eyes towards him.

"How? How am I supposed to "calm down", Cisco? Caitlin was in a wreck, and we know nothing. Nothing. Not how she's doing, not if she's going to be alright, not even if she's…" Barry trailed off, suddenly afraid.

"Alive?" Cisco supplied quietly, and Barry winced. It was one thing to think the word, a whole other matter entirely when said out loud. He nodded his head shortly.

"Don't think like that, Barry," Cisco said firmly. "Caitlin's too strong to let something like this knock her down. She's a fighter. She's survived a lot worse."

"Why does it always seem to happen to her?" Barry sighed, as he rubbed a weary hand over his face.

"I don't know," Cisco said softly. Nothing more was said. Not until Amy came back.

"Guys," Amy said and they both looked up, Barry standing to his feet so fast it left him dizzy.

"What can you tell us?" Barry asked nervously.

"Caitlin's out of surgery. It was a success," Amy stated, and Barry felt his knees shake. He was tired just by simply listening. All he wanted to do was see his friend.

"When can we see her?" Cisco voiced the question he was thinking, and Barry looked at Amy expectantly.

"The surgery was a success as far as saving Caitlin's life," Amy began, and Barry felt fear pool in his stomach. He narrowed his eyes.

"What does that mean?" Barry demanded. Amy sighed as she took her glasses off, and rubbed them on her scrubs.

"I'll go get Dr. Jackson. She'll be able to explain everything in detail," Amy said. She walked off then, and Barry was so nervous, he thought he'd explode. He looked at Cisco, who looked as lost as Barry felt. Luckily, it was only a moment longer before Amy returned, with Dr. Jackson in tow. The middle-aged doctor bore a look of grimness, and Barry exhaled shakily.

"Friends of Ms. Snow?" Dr. Jackson asked.

"More like family," Cisco breathed, and the doctor consulted her notes, before nodding her head briefly.

"Ms. Snow didn't have any family members as emergency contacts, so that's why you were called, Cisco," Dr. Jackson informed him. Cisco nodded his head.

"What can you tell us?" Cisco asked timidly.

"Ms. Snow, while alive, is not conscious. We had to put her in a medically induced coma, to help the swelling in her brain," the doctor explained.

"When will she wake up?" Barry demanded, manners be damned. The doctor sighed as she rubbed her eyes. She looked tired.

"That's up to Ms. Snow," she murmured. "It's entirely up to her when she wakes up. These types of comas can last anywhere from days, to months.

"Months?" Cisco gasped, but Barry had expected an answer like this. He was suddenly numb.

"Thank you," he replied in monotone.

Dr. Jackson, and Cisco, exchanged a few more words, before she led them to Caitlin's room. Barry inhaled shakily as soon as he saw her. Her leg was in a cast, and propped up; her right side covered in cuts and bruises.

"God," he breathed out, forcing himself to not cry. Cisco was an entirely different matter; silent tears streaming down his face.

"Cait," he said softly, inching his way closer. When he was close enough to her, he grabbed her hand, and brought the back of it to his lips.

"You're a fighter, Caitlin Snow," he said firmly, and Barry watched him.

"You're going to bounce back from this, like you always do, and we're going to be ready for you," he murmured. Barry felt a lump swell in his throat, and tried to swallow discreetly. He stared at Caitlin's beaten and fragile body, before sinking down in the chair next to her head, with Cisco taking the one on the other side of her bed.

"We're not going anywhere," Barry said softly.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

At least a couple of months had passed, and Caitlin still hadn't woken up. Cisco was doing everything he could to handle Star Labs, while Barry refused point-blank to be anywhere but the hospital. Central City had Kid Flash, that was good enough. The only thing Barry partook in was helping catch the guy who ran her off the road. Once Cisco had found out the meta human's name who had hunted her down, Barry turned around and hunted him down. Turned out, he was an enemy of the Flash, and looking for revenge. Prison was too easy for him; too gentle. Barry locked him in the pipeline where he couldn't use his powers, and didn't even bother to think about freeing him ever again. He deserved to pay for his crimes.

XXXXXX

Four months in, and Barry saw Cisco losing hope.

"Maybe…maybe we should just let her go," he said to Barry one evening. Barry snapped his head up from his fist he was resting it on, and leveled Cisco with a look.

"Would she give up on us?" Barry demanded harshly.

Cisco opened his mouth to speak, but Barry didn't give him the opportunity to do so.

"That's a no, Cisco. No, she wouldn't. If you're tired of sitting here, then leave. I can handle watching over her for a while," he snapped. Cisco looked at Barry sadly, before getting up.

"You know where to find me," he said quietly, before leaving the room.

Barry redirected his attention back to Caitlin.

"Hey, you," he murmured, squeezing her hand gently. He had read that people in comas could still feel touches, and hear words. He just hoped she was one of them. Taking a deep breath, he began talking.

"Look, Cait, I know the timing is pretty horrible, but since all I seem to have lately is time, I just want you to listen. When I got that call from Cisco, four months ago, my world ended. I didn't know how I was going to pick myself back up. Then, when I got here and heard you were alive, I felt some light filter back into my life. Now, after sitting by your side every day, I've finally found the courage to say something I've wanted to say since the moment I woke up from my own coma. Caitlin Snow, I love you. I've been in love with you since the moment I met you. I know I said it was Iris, but you knocked that position right out of her hands. I'm so sorry I didn't tell you sooner. So, so sorry. You must wake up, Cait. Wake up, and I can tell you every day what you mean to me, and how much I love you. Please, baby, for me," Barry murmured. He brushed his lips across her forehead, before leaning back down into his seat, and waiting again.

XXXXXXXXXX

A month later, when Barry was resting, he felt her hand twitch for the first time. He yanked his head of his arm, and stared at her.

"Caitlin?" Barry whispered. Her hand twitched again.

"That's right, Cait, keep moving your hand," he encouraged.

"Help!" Barry shouted, and suddenly the room was filled with nurses and Dr. Jackson.

"Mr. Allen?" Dr. Jackson asked.

"Cait just moved her hand. I literally just felt it twitch," he exclaimed excitedly.

Dr. Jackson moved Barry gently out of the way, before turning to look at Caitlin.

"Ms. Snow, if you can hear me, I want you to squeeze my fingers," Dr. Jackson said calmly. All eyes were glued to Caitlin's hand. Then, miraculously, her fingers moved, wrapping around the doctor's hand and squeezing.

"Cait," Barry breathed, letting a couple of tears slip past.

It took her several long moments, but eventually, she opened her eyes and blinked at them all.

"Cait!" Barry cried, wanting to run to her. A nurse stopped him.

"Let me get to her," he exclaimed, and Dr. Jackson nodded her head.

"Let him through," she spoke calmly, and the hand holding him back dropped, and he raced over to Caitlin.

"Caitlin?" Barry asked.

"Barry?" Caitlin asked back, sounding confused and scared.

"What…what happened?" Caitlin whispered fearfully.

"Shh, it's alright," Barry soothed her, before looking at Dr. Jackson. She nodded her head.

"You were in a wreck, it's okay; you're okay," Barry said gently. Caitlin stared at him.

"A wreck?" Caitlin whispered. He nodded his head. Just then, Dr. Jackson spoke up.

"Ms. Snow, we need to run some tests, make sure everything is healing the way we need it to. As you can tell, you broke your leg. That's been healing nicely, considering the location of the break and how severe it was," she said calmly. Eventually, Barry was asked to leave the room while they ran their tests, and he did so, reluctantly. He promised he'd be back in as soon as he could.

While he waited, he called Cisco, telling him she woke up. The engineer promised to be there as soon as he could, which was, whenever Wally brought in their latest meta human. He also promised Chinese food, which both men knew she liked to eat in times of distress.

When he was given the all clear to go back in, he ran back into her room. Dr. Jackson paused him briefly.

"Beware, she's tired, and will most likely drift in and out for a few days," she warned him.

"As long as it's not for a few months again, I'm good with that," he replied, eyes never leaving Caitlin's face. Finally, it was just the two of them.

"I-I heard you," Caitlin began quietly, and Barry's heart stopped. He looked at her.

"Which part?" Barry asked seriously.

"All of it," she murmured, and they stared at each other. In a moment that stretched on for an hour, Barry suddenly understood what she meant. She heard him.

"Oh," he whispered.

She stared at him for a long moment.

"I want you to know: I love you, too," she whispered, and he laughed gently.

"Good, that's good. I'm glad," he murmured. She closed her eyes.

"Will you stay with me?" Caitlin asked softly, eyebrows crinkling in concern adorably.

He rubbed her brow out softly.

"Always," he murmured. "Always."

Author's note: Jesse! HAPPY BIRTHDAY, FRIEND! My first one shot in ages! Hope you like it. Miss you. XOXO Taking prompts again. Will try to get some more out.


	22. Chapter 22

Barry watched as Caitlin moved at a snail's pace. His doctor, who was usually so vibrant and full of life, seemed to be running mechanically. He sighed.

"Cait, are you feeling alright?" Barry asked gently, and she nodded her head shortly.

"I'm fine," she replied impatiently, before coughing into her elbow. Barry winced at how deep the cough seemed to be, and how it seemed to travel through her whole body, wracking her slender frame.

"You seem sick, Cait," he murmured gently, and she leveled him with a look.

"Barry, I'm the doctor. It's my job to diagnose you, not the other way around," she reminded him pointedly. He sighed for a second time in a matter of minutes, trying to be discreet with his next move. He edged his way closer to her, trying to look inconspicuous.

"Barry, what are you doing?" Caitlin demanded, and all thought of subtly flew out of the window. He placed his hand on her forehead quickly, quick enough to feel her temperature, before Caitlin jerked his hand away.

"Barry Allen!" Caitlin scolded. "Stop it."

"You're burning up, Cait," he said worriedly.

"Stop it," she hissed, folding her arms across her chest, and glared at him.

"You're sick, Caitlin," Barry commented, and she sighed as her shoulders drooped.

"It's fine, just a little cold," she waved her hand dismissively, but he was adamant.

"I'm taking you home. How is the doctor supposed to take care of her patients, when she's not taking care of herself?" Barry murmured, inching his way closer to her. She watched him.

"Barry Allen, don't you –, "he didn't give her the chance to finish as he scooped her into his arms, and flashed off. He ran all the way to her apartment, and stopped as soon as he was outside of it.

"– dare," Caitlin muttered, taking in her surroundings. He grinned guiltily at her.

"Oops," he mouthed, and Caitlin rolled her eyes, before fishing her keys out of her purse.

"If my body didn't ache so damn badly, I'd swat you for being an idiot," she threatened hoarsely, and Barry chuckled as she opened her door. He led her inside and to her couch, easing her down gently. He then flashed off to get her pillows and a blanket, before covering her gently.

"Rest now, alright, Cait?" Barry asked softly, and watched as she closed her eyes and nodded her head. She was asleep within moments. Barry stood up, before bending down and placed a gentle kiss to her forehead, tucking the blanket around her securely. After one quicker glance around, he flashed away, leaving her to rest in peace.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

When Barry arrived back to Star Labs, he was immediately hailed down by Iris. He looked at her curiously.

"We need to talk," she said abruptly, no greeting. He stared at her inquisitively.

"About what?" Barry asked, but she shook her head.

"Not here," she muttered, grabbing him by the elbow. She dragged him all the way down to the pipeline.

"You know, I could've gotten us down here much quicker," he commented amusedly, but she shook her head, gentle laugh escaping her lips.

"Sometimes, I think you just like using your powers simply because you can," she replied, and he chuckled.

"Duh," he deadpanned, and the two friends shared a laugh. He sobered up.

"Not that I need a reason to talk to my best friend," he began. "But, what's with all the secrecy?"

"Didn't want to be overheard," Iris commented absentmindedly, and Barry looed at her with a raised eyebrow.

"Okay…" he trailed off, waiting for her to continue.

"I saw you with Caitlin," she murmured.

"You see me with Caitlin a lot," he mused, unsure of where she was going with this line of thought.

"You seemed really anxious about her," she said wisely, and Barry suddenly felt nervous. He shifted around on the balls of his feet.

"Well, she is sick. I didn't want her working when she wasn't feeling well," he muttered shiftily, rubbing a hand anxiously against the back of his neck. Iris laughed softly.

"Barry, how long have we known each other?" Iris demanded.

"Too long, apparently," he muttered, and she rolled her eyes.

"Long enough for me to know when you care about someone, and when you care about someone," she emphasized.

Barry stared at her. "Thanks for clearing that up."

"My point," Iris pressed. "Is that I think you care about our Doctor Snow."

Barry felt his face heat up.

"O-Of course I care for her, she's my friend," he stuttered, and Iris leveled him with a look.

"We've been friends for too long for you to lie to me," she stated sternly, and Barry sighed.

"What do you want me to say?" Barry muttered.

"I want you to admit your feelings. It's the only way you're going to attain peace," Iris murmured gently, and he reluctantly nodded his head.

"A-Alright, I care for her," he whispered, and Iris squeezed his shoulder.

"I know," she replied simply. "Now, go tell her."

Barry was just about to open his mouth, to protest that crazy notion, when Cisco's voice interrupted them.

"Flash, get up here. Now."

Barry looked at Iris once more, before flashing to the cortex.

"What?" Barry asked urgently as he took in the room. Cisco was in utter state of panic.

"There's a fire," he panicked.

"Alright, calm down," Barry said calmly, and Cisco shot him a look.

"I'll only calm down when the fire is put out and my best friend is safe," he snapped, and Barry felt his heart stop.

"What?" Barry demanded, before looking at their screen. Sure enough, there was a fire surrounding Caitlin and her entire apartment complex.

"Oh, god," Barry muttered, unable to move for a moment.

"Go and get her," Iris stated, and he turned to look at her, realizing her words held importance. He nodded his head.

"Alright," he murmured, before flashing off. He ran as fast as he ever had. Faster than all the times he went back in time, trying to save friends. Faster than when he raced against the clock to bring Caitlin back to him when she turned into Killer Frost. She had survived far worse; he wasn't about to let her die this way. Once he reached her apartment, he slammed his body against her door, ignoring the most likely scorching hot doorknob. The door gave way easily, and he flew into the room.

"Caitlin?" Barry shouted, and he strained his ears over the roaring fire to hear her reply. He heard a soft groan, and looked around. She was laying on the floor, barely moving. He ran to her.

"Cait? Cait, look at me," he said urgently. He felt her pulse, and, noticed how low it was with dread.

"I'm going to have to move you; get you out of here," he murmured, and she barely nodded her head, giving him permission. He gulped as he scooped her up into his arms.

"Hang on, Cait," he whispered. He tucked her into his chest, and all but raced out of the room, as more rooms exploded in a fiery storm behind him. Once he placed her down on the ground, he heard the sirens, and noted the fire truck that was down the street. He looked at Caitlin, then back at her building that was engulfed in flames. He had a decision to make.

"Cait, hold on okay?" Barry whispered, and she nodded her head, eyes closed. He ran back up into the building, grabbing each person trapped on floors, before delivering them to safety. Once the apartment complex was cleared, he flew back out to Caitlin, who was being treated by a medic. He noticed an oxygen mask covering her face.

"Is she alright?" Barry demanded, his voice distorted.

"Holy hell, you're the flash," the medic exclaimed, and Barry waved his had impatiently.

"Issue at hand, here," he snapped, looking back and forth between him and Caitlin. The medic nodded his head.

"Oh, right," he muttered. "Pulse is low, but there. We're taking her to the hospital."

"Everyone's out," Barry said, and the medic nodded approvingly.

"Saved the firefighters one hell of a job," he praised, before getting Caitlin situated on a stretcher.

"Meet us at the hospital," he added, before slamming the doors of the ambulance shut. Barry watched it speed away, before turning around and flashing to the cortex. When he arrived, he noticed everyone watching him.

"Fire department is containing the fire," he explained as he dropped his hood. "Cait's being taken to the hospital."

"Dammit," Cisco groaned, closing his eyes.

Barry flashed off, and returned a moment later in normal clothes.

"Iris, you're driving," he stated, and the journalist nodded her head.

XXXXXXXX

Once they were at the hospital, Barry ran into the building, Iris and Cisco hot on his trail.

"Caitlin Snow?" Barry asked the receptionist.

"Ms. Snow?" A doctor called, and all their heads swiveled in his direction; Barry nodded.

"Yes."

"She's being treated for smoke inhalation, and bronchitis," he replied.

"Can we see her?" Cisco demanded, and the doctor smiled kindly.

"This way," he jerked his head to the left him, and they all followed him into a room wordlessly. Caitlin was sitting in a bed, breathing through an oxygen mask. Barry thought he could cry.

"Cait," he exclaimed, and she went to remove the mask. He stopped her, and replaced it back over her nose and mouth gently.

"Don't," he murmured, and she nodded tiredly.

They stayed with her, for a solid hour, before Iris and Cisco decided to head home for the night with promises of being back the following morning.

"I'm staying," Barry said, and they nodded their heads. Iris squeezed his shoulder, and looked at him meaningfully before walking out. Once the door was shut behind her softly, Barry looked at Caitlin, and smiled softly.

"Always scaring me, huh?" Barry asked, and she shrugged a tired shoulder, returning his smile as much as she could.

"I just want you to listen, alright?" Barry murmured, and she looked at him curiously, indicating he should continue.

"I've liked you for a while," he murmured, noting her look of surprise. "But today has confirmed something for me: I love you."

She stared at him for a long moment, and he her, unsure of what was going through her head. Finally, she removed the oxygen mask.

"And it took a fire to make you tell me these feelings?" Caitlin reprimanded hoarsely, and he looked down, soft smile tugging at his lips.

"Yeah, well, I'm an idiot," he laughed.

"Yes, you are," she said in a raspy voice, before leaning forward, and kissing him on the cheek gently. He looked up, and touched his cheek, warm with the left over feeling of her lips.

"I love you, too," she said softly.

"And it took a fire to make you tell me these feelings?" Barry chastised, laughing softly.

"Yeah, well, I'm an idiot," she agreed, smile firmly in place. They sat there, with Barry content to just listen to her heartbeat. He knew in that moment that they would be okay. And, that was enough for him.

Author's note: Another oneshot request I had! I'm trying to get to the oldest requests first, now that I got the birthday girl's request out! If you have any, leave them in the comments. XOXO!


	23. Chapter 23

TRIGGER WARNING: SEXUAL ASSAULT.

Caitlin laid there, unmoving, and unflinching, as Jay attacked her. This was the second time it had happened, and Caitlin felt herself starting to disengage from her body, in what was a vain attempt at protecting her mind. When he was finished, he pushed himself off her, sweaty, and out of breath, before dropping a kiss to her forehead. She just stared at the wall of the cave blankly.

"I love you, sweetheart," Jay murmured. She didn't acknowledge him; she didn't acknowledge anything. Once Jay was sure the chain around her ankle was still in place, he flashed off without another word, leaving Caitlin alone to her thoughts. She wasn't sure the moment that she had slipped off the cliff of sanity was, but all she saw was a never-ending loop of misery, playing out before her eyes. Jay. Jay's need to stake his claim over her. His desire to control her, make her beg for him. She held onto the tiny thread of hope that she wasn't going to completely break. Not yet. She may not be fighting back, but that did not mean she had to answer him; acknowledge him. And if she knew anything that set off that monster, it was ignoring him.

A few hours passed before Jay was back. She stared at the wall in front of her resolutely, having no desire to look at him. He walked towards her, and placed his palm against her cheek.

"Look at me, sweetheart," he murmured. She didn't.

"Look at me," he said more firmly. She still didn't.

She felt the sting of his palm against her cheek, and the echo that sounded around the cave, but she didn't flinch. She just laid there, staring at the wall.

"When will you learn to listen?" Jay hissed, forcing himself on top of her. She didn't cry. Didn't ask him to stop. She just laid there, counting the cracks in the wall.

It wasn't until she felt a gush of wind that sent her hair flying, did Caitlin blink.

"Get the hell off her," Barry snarled. Caitlin looked at Barry for a moment, before going back to counting the cracks in the wall. She barely registered the two speedsters fighting. What she did register was that, somehow, Jay's speed was diminishing. She looked at his shocked expression for a moment, not taking in anything she saw, before, once again, going back to counting the cracks in the wall. At last, at long last, Jay dropped down, and didn't get up. Caitlin knew it was over.

Barry eased his way towards Caitlin, seemingly worried about her. He reached out a hand to grasp her wrist in, but she snatched her hand back. She had already been touched by one speedster.

"Don't. Touch. Me. DON'T TOUCH ME. DON'T TOUCH ME. DON'T TOUCH ME." Caitlin screamed. For once, she broke out of the trance she was in, and started trashing out against Barry, who was trying to calm her.

"Shh, Caitlin, shh," he soothed, trying to wrap his fingers around her shaking wrist. She continued to scream and thrash.

"Caitlin, I'm really sorry, but I have to do this. You might hurt yourself," Barry murmured, and she looked at him. Then noticed the needle. She tried to kick him, to scramble away, to do anything, but he pinned her legs down, holding her in place.

"Shh, it's alright, you're alright. You're just going to feel a tiny pinch, then you can sleep, alright?" Barry murmured. She was shaking so hard, she felt her teeth rattling from the effect of it. Barry plunged the needle into her arm, and she screamed. She screamed until she couldn't anymore. Then, everything went black, and she tumbled off the cliff of consciousness.

XXXXXX

When Caitlin woke next, it was to a steady beeping. She blinked her eyes open, and stared around. Hospital. She was in a hospital room. Of course. Glancing to her left, she spotted Barry, staring at her.

"Cait, you're awake," he croaked. She took in the sight of him, noting that it looked like he hadn't slept in a while. She nodded her head.

"I am," she rasped out, and his hand was reaching for a cup of water one moment, and guiding it to her lips the next. She drank greedily, enjoying the way the cool water eased her parched throat.

She looked at Barry as he pressed a button to call the nurse with. One walked in a moment later, followed by a doctor.

"Ms. Snow, good to see you awake. I'm Dr. Rose," she said, and Caitlin stared at her, not saying anything back.

"You're in shock, that's to be expected after traumatic incidents like yours'," Dr. Rose explained. Still, Caitlin stayed silent. Dr. Rose looked at her notes for a moment, before looking at Caitlin with a resigned sigh.

"Ms. Snow, while you were sleeping, we ran some tests," she began.

"Am I pregnant?" Caitlin interrupted. She heard Barry's sharp intake, but couldn't bring herself to look at him.

"I'm so sorry," Dr. Rose murmured. Then, like a dam, a floodgate of tears broke out of Caitlin, and she was reaching out for Barry at the same time he was reaching for her. He wrapped his fingers into her hair tightly, pulling her against his chest as she cried.

"Shh, shh, it's alright. It's okay, Cait," he soothed over and over.

"No, it's not," Caitlin replied, voice cracking from the amount of emotion that was weighing her down.

Nothing was alright.

XXXXXXXXXXX

A year came and went, and the only good thing that came out of it was Aimee, Caitlin's daughter. Caitlin wasn't sure what she had expected when she found out she was pregnant, but she was sure as hell it wasn't the fact that she'd come to love her daughter more than anything; more than herself. Aimee held no resemblance to Jay. Where he was cold, and unforgiving; she was gentle, and kind. She was light where he was dark. She laughed, and loved with her whole heart, unconditionally. And, Caitlin loved her right back. As did every other member of Star Labs. She was Cisco's goddaughter. While the engineer hated how she came about, he was absolutely smitten the moment he saw that she had Caitlin's eyes; her smile. Barry, much the same, adored her daughter to the ends of the earth. He took every free moment he had and devoted it to spending time with Caitlin and Aimee. Caitlin, while not healed by any means, was learning how to piece together her shattered self, one piece at time.

XXXXXXX

Three years later:

"Caitlin, you know I'd do anything for you and Aimee, right?" Barry asked as Caitlin studied some notes she had taken on his latest running. She looked up from where she had been peering at them, and looked at him quizzically.

"if you're trying to back out of going to see Barbie on ice, sorry, those tickets are set in stone," she laughed, and he rolled his eyes.

"No, I'm not. But, why does Barbie need to ice skate?" Barry asked, and she shrugged.

"No clue, ask your daughter," she commented offhand, then froze. She couldn't believe she had just said that sentence out loud, but it was too late to take it back.

"Uh, I mean…" she trailed off, unsure of what she meant. Barry stood up, and made his way to her, placing his hands on her shoulders gently. Four years later, and she still flinched. She was getting better at managing it, though.

"Trust me, I want her to be my daughter. I wish she was, biologically speaking," Barry murmured, staring into her eyes. Caitlin felt her heart flutter.

"Who needs logistics?" Caitlin asked softly. He chuckled.

"I-I also want you to be my wife," he added a moment later, and she felt her heart stop.

"What?" Caitlin whispered.

"I know you've been through hell, no point in denying that. I also know you are, by far, the strongest person I've ever met. To have Aimee the way you did, and still raise her with nothing but unconditional love? You're the real superhero here, Cait," he praised her. She smiled.

"Remember when you had Aimee, and I was in the delivery room with you? I made you a promise. Do you remember what I promised?" Barry asked her curiously.

"That if I could promise to look past who her father was, and love her unconditionally, you'd like to be in her life, if I let you. And, you liked to be in my life, too," she said quietly, not quite daring to believe this was happening.

"You've stuck by your promise; time to fill the end of my side, hmm?" Barry asked. And, Caitlin, for once, felt safe.

Author's note: What a prompt! I hope you guys like it. Leave prompts if you so wish! XOXO


	24. Chapter 24

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Caitlin asked the speedster for the millionth time that day. Barry simply nodded his head.

"I'm sure, Cait. I need to be there, to pay my respects to Joe," Barry murmured, and Caitlin sighed, knowing what he meant. When Joe had died on Earth Two, it shook Barry to his core. He was left unsure of himself, and Caitlin had never seen her friend so uncertain; so lost. Eventually, she nodded her head.

"Alright, just be careful," she replied, stepping away from him, and towards Cisco, who was getting ready to open the breach. They both had asked if he wanted them to go with him, but he had declined, saying it was something he needed to do on his own. Caitlin also suspected he wanted to see how Earth Two's version of him, and Iris, were doing. Since the pair hadn't worked out on their earth, Caitlin was confident that he often thought about them. Shaking herself of the thoughts, she looked at Cisco, who nodded his head once.

"Ready when you are, Flash," the engineer called out to him. Barry took a deep breath, and stepped up to the place the breach would open. Looking over his shoulder, he gave Cisco the go ahead. It never failed to amaze Caitlin to see Cisco work his magic when it came to opening breaches. She could tell her best friend was in his element, and loving every second of it. When the breach opened, Barry looked at Cisco, then her, and sent them a smile.

"See you guys when I get back," he said, and she returned her smile.

"Be safe, Barry," she said quietly, quiet enough for the speedster to not hear, and that was what she wanted. He didn't need to know that she worried over him endlessly. Soon enough, Barry had walked through the breach, leaving nothing but the memory of him.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

When Barry reached the other side of the breach, he smiled as he took in his surroundings. Nothing on this earth had changed since he last had been here. Shoving his hands into his pockets, Barry decided he'd walk the back streets to the graveyard, give anyone who was visiting Joe's tombstone a chance to talk to him in private. Mainly, Iris. As he walked, he thought over all the had changed in the past year. Him and Iris had gotten a divorce, and he was still trying to protect the city, one meta human at a time. Even though their marriage hadn't worked out, Iris and Barry remained on friendly terms. He had suspected they would. After all, you didn't end up hating the girl you had known since childhood.

Once he reached the graveyard, he realized he had been right with his concerns. Iris was there, as was Earth Two Barry. He paused behind a tree, to give them modicum amount of privacy. As he watched, he picked up on the fact that Iris, and Barry weren't touching. Not holding hands, nothing. When Barry had visited this Earth the first time, they couldn't keep their hands off each other. Well, he couldn't keep his hands off her. And she was the same, thinking that he was her real husband. Watching them, he now noticed they resembled himself and his earth's Iris; shy, and slightly awkward around each other.

"Thanks for coming, Barry," Iris said, and he watched is doppelganger nod his head.

"Of course, Iris. You know Joe was like a father to me, too," he replied. Barry watched as Iris nodded her head absentmindedly, before standing up and looking at him.

"I'll let you go now. The divorce papers have been signed," she said, and Barry felt his heart drop. So, their doppelgangers couldn't seem to handle marriage, either. He watched them for a moment longer, looking at each other, before they both turned and walked off in opposite directions. Barry waited a few minutes longer, before making his way to the tombstone. He stared down at it, feeling a pit in his stomach. Just because it wasn't Joe from his earth, it still hurt to think of a Joe on any earth being dead. Figuring out the words to say, Barry thought over how he had died. It was a heart attack, quick and simple. He was standing one moment, dropping to his knees, and clutching his heart, the next. Gone before anyone had a chance to comprehend what happened.

Sighing, Barry cleared his throat.

"I know that when I was on your earth, I was assuming my doppelganger's identity. That you didn't know I was from another earth. It still hurt when you died, though. Like I lost a part of my heart that day. I know Iris sure as hell did," Barry said quietly. Barry wasn't good at these sort of things; never knew the right words to express his feelings. So, he simply rested a hand on the tombstone, and closed his eyes, wishing to project his thoughts into actions.

It was when he heard a soft rustling behind him, did he open his eyes. Looking around, he spotted Caitlin. He had to do a double take, but soon realized it wasn't his Caitlin. Her hair was shorter; eyes sadder.

"Hey, you," she murmured. She linked her arm through his, and rested her head on his shoulder.

"I was hoping you'd still be here, after Iris left," she added quietly. Barry wasn't sure what was going on. Caitlin clearly thought he was Earth Two's Barry, but that didn't explain the way she had positioned herself around him. He cleared his throat.

"Uh, Cait, what are you doing here?" Barry asked nervously, unsure of what was happening. She laughed gently; kindly.

"You think I'm really going to let my husband pay his respects alone? You know I loved Joe, too," she replied. Barry felt the ground slip out from underneath him.

He was her husband.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

After they paid their respects, Caitlin and Barry walked around aimlessly, Caitlin's fingers wrapped around his. He felt so discombobulated by holding her hand, that he simply didn't remove his.

"Why are you so tense, babe?" Caitlin asked softly.

"What?"

"You've been squeezing the hell out of my fingers for the past five minutes. Is everything alright?" Caitlin asked, and Barry immediately loosened his grip.

"Uh, sorry. It's nothing. Just-just this day, bringing up painful memories," he lied. In truth, Barry was so unsure of what was happening. Him and Caitlin were married? Why? In what universe did it make sense that them, of all people, would be married? He simply didn't know what to think.

Caitlin hummed thoughtfully.

"What do you think about just going back to our apartment, eating Chinese, and watching television? Something to occupy your mind? I'll even let you pick which documentary we watch on Netflix," she encouraged. Too stunned to say anything else, Barry found himself nodding.

So, that's how he found himself, an hour later. Carrying Chinese food into their living room, and sitting down. True to her word, Caitlin let him choose the documentary, and he did so, mindlessly.

After it was turned on and playing, Barry allowed his thoughts to run rampant. He had never thought of Caitlin as anything more than a friend; never found the desire to. Now, here they were, sitting on the couch, and sharing chow mien. It was unnerving.

Half an hour into the documentary, Caitlin paused it and looked at Barry.

"I have something to say, and I just want you to listen, alright sweetheart?" Caitlin asked. Not knowing how he should respond, he simply nodded his head.

"I know you loved Joe, and I know you loved Iris. I know that I'll never be able to replace who she was at that time in your life, or be the woman she was. However, it's my hope that I can be the woman you need now, in this moment. I love you so much, Barry, it makes my heart hurt a little. I'm proud of everything you've accomplished; of being the man Joe knew you could be. And I just want you to know that I'm here, and I'm not going anywhere," she said quietly, eyes round and earnest.

Barry stared at her for a long moment, before quietly saying, "thanks, Cait." He smiled at her, touched by her sincerity, before going back to the documentary. They stayed up late talking that night, about anything and everything, and Barry soon found his reservations about his doppelganger being married to her slipping away. This Cait radiated warmth, very much like his Cait back home. She simply listened to him talk about whatever came to his mind, not rushing him when silence took over, and encouraging him to trust her enough to confide in her. He found himself trusting her immensely.

When they finally went to bed, Barry had no hesitations about crawling into bed with her. She placed her head on his chest, murmuring a sleepy, "I love you", before drifting off. He stared at her for a moment, before dropping a kiss to her hairline.

"I think, that I love you, too," he replied. He let sleep take over then.

XXXXXXXXXX

When Barry returned to his earth, it was with such assuredness that his doppelganger, and Caitlin', would be fine. It was so strong, that it gave him a little hope about talking to his Cait. When he walked through the breach, he spotted Cisco in utter panic.

"Cisco, what's wrong?" Barry demanded, hurrying over to him.

"Caitlin's missing," he replied frantically, and Barry felt his heart stop. After spending the last forty-eight hours with her doppelganger, Barry felt like he was privy to a side of Caitlin that no one saw, not even her best friend.

"When?" Barry asked urgently.

"She was taken by a meta human, just this morning," Cisco replied.

"Where did he take her?" Barry demanded, flashing into his suit, and returning a millisecond later.

"Working on it," Cisco stated as he typed away on his keyboard. A few beats later, Cisco yelled triumphantly.

"Warehouse, middle of the city," he said, and Barry was running.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

When Barry reached the warehouse, he peered in through one of the grimy windows, and had a start. Caitlin, whom he thought would've been injured, or tied up at the very least, was throwing punches. He wanted to laugh at the sheer wonderment of it, but he also knew he needed to get her out of there. He flashed inside, listening to her shouts.

"Next time you kidnap someone, you idiot, make sure it's not someone who knows how to fight back," Caitlin snarled, as she thrusted her fist forward, reaching exposed skin. Barry looked at the man who was cowering before her, rolling himself into a protective ball, and chuckled.

"Cait," he called, voice distorted, and Caitlin looked up.

"Flash, welcome to the party!" Caitlin cried, and Barry shook his head amusedly.

"Alright, Rocky, let me get him in the pipeline," Barry said. Caitlin nodded her head, and threw one last punch.

"For good measure," she shrugged. Barry laughed, and flashed away, coming back moments later. Caitlin was still standing in the same place she had been when he left.

"How was Earth Two?" Caitlin asked as Barry dropped his hood.

"Enlightening," he replied. He didn't know what things would mean between him and Caitlin, now that he knew what it was like to be married to her. However, he was curious to find out.

"Care for a cup of coffee? Consider it my deepest apologies about you being kidnapped…again," Barry remarked.

"Like, a date?" Caitlin asked in surprise, and he nodded.

"Yes, like a date. What do you say?" Barry asked, nervously. Her smile said it all.

"I say: Barry Allen, why the hell has it taken you so long to ask me out?" Caitlin laughed.

Then, linking her arm through his, and resting her head on his shoulder, they made their way out of the warehouse, and onwards towards their future.

Author's note: So, I got a prompt about Barry being married to Caitlin on Earth Two, and this was my take on it. Hope you like it, friend! XOXOXO


	25. Chapter 25

Barry had never envisioned himself as a single dad; had never envisioned a life different than the one he predicted for himself. Hell, then the one everyone had predicted for him. Yet, here he was, three-thirty in the morning, reading the note Iris had left behind before slipping off into the night. It held a simple two words: I'm sorry. Two words that meant nothing to him, but meant everything to his daughter, who would one day ask where her mother was. He couldn't even begin to fathom how that conversation would go.

He knew that, technically, he could use his speed to search the ends of the earth for Iris, noting she probably hadn't even made it to the airport by this point, but something held him back. She didn't want to be in his or Abigail's life; the constant fighting made that clear. Why should he force her to stay, when she so desperately wanted to run away? So, he gritted his teeth, and turned his back on the memories of her; choosing to, instead, focus on his one-year old daughter. She needed him, and he needed her; they needed each other. He knew that raising her as a single parent would be no easy feat, but he was determined to fill the fissures inside Abby's heart that would most likely appear the older she got and the more she understood her mother didn't want her. He just hoped she would realize how much he loved her.

XXXXXXXX

The following year proved to be the toughest year of Barry's life, yet. Raising a child on his own, when he had no idea what to do, was proving to be far more difficult than even he could have imagined. However, when he sat down and thought about it, he realized he wasn't completely alone. Not really. Caitlin, of all people, really had stepped up to the plate for Barry, and helped when he was about ready to throw in the towel and admit defeat.

"Barry, why don't you take Joe up on that offer for a guys' night out?" Caitlin asked softly one evening, when it was just the two of them left at Star Labs. He shook his head tiredly.

"I can't, Abby's been fussy lately, and I need to make sure she sleeps well tonight," he murmured. Caitlin smiled gently.

"Let me watch her, give you a break," she replied softly.

"I thought you had that date with that guy," Barry muttered, and Caitlin shrugged a shoulder.

"Friendships are more important than a guy who wants to get me drunk long enough to get me in bed," she laughed, and Barry felt his hand twitch. While he, was in no way, ready to date again himself, it didn't mean he appreciated when someone was taking advantage of one of his closest friends. He thought over her offer, before quickly nodding.

"It'd be good to see Joe again," he mused. "And, if it meant you didn't have to pretend to laugh at some creep's jokes, then, what's the harm?"

Caitlin smiled. "No harm."

So, that was how Barry found himself an hour later, with Caitlin all but shooing him out of his front door despite his worried protests.

"Remember, she likes to sleep with Binky, her rabbit-"

"I know," Caitlin interrupted with a fond smile.

"And, she likes to have blankey snuggled around her," he added, worried that she'd forget.

"Barry," Caitlin interrupted him for the second time. "How many times have I watched Abby overnight while you worked at the precinct?"

"Quite a few," he conceded.

"And, out of all those times, have I ever forgot what she likes to sleep with?" Caitlin asked with a crooked eyebrow.

"No," Barry admitted sheepishly, scratching the back of his neck embarrassedly.

"So, quit worrying," Caitlin reprimanded him softly. "We'll be fine. Now go, and drink an extra beer for me."

Barry hesitated for a moment longer, before nodding his head, and hugging his friend quickly.

"Thanks, Cait," he murmured, before walking out of the door, and towards his car.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

When Barry got home later that evening, his house was quiet, and he unlocked his door as quietly as he could. Stepping inside, he heard Caitlin humming. Which, admittedly, sounded a hell of a lot better than when she was singing. Shaking his head at the fond memory of Summer Lovin', he walked further inside his house, and spotted Caitlin sitting with Abby, the little girl burrowed inside of her arms.

"Cait?" Barry asked in confusion, and she looked up, making a soft, "shh", as she did so. He walked over to them, and crouched down next to the chair they were in, resting his hand on the back of it.

"Why isn't she in bed?" Barry whispered.

"Abby wasn't feeling well, and didn't want to sleep in bed, so we brought Binky, and Blankey, out here and decided we'd sit in the chair for a bit. I've been alternating between singing and humming to her, to make sure she felt safe," Caitlin murmured, and Barry smiled, touched at his friend's concern.

"What does she have?" Barry asked worriedly, touching his hand to his daughter's forehead; she felt warm.

"She's got a cough and some congestion, nothing a little Vicks won't fix," Caitlin assured him. Just then, Abby started stirring, and looked up through sleepy eyes.

"Daddy?" Abby asked, and Barry smiled down at the toddler.

"Hi, sweetheart," he replied softly, bending down to scoop her out of Caitlin's arms. After she was resting in his arms securely, Barry tightened the blanket around her to fight off a chill.

"I hear you're not feeling good, sweet pea," he murmured, and the girl shook her head.

"No, but Taitlin took tare of me," Abby mumbled, and Barry laughed softly. Currently, Abby got her C's and T's mixed up, but it was adorable, so he didn't bother try correcting her just yet.

"So, I can see," he replied, kissing her nose.

"Let's get you in bed, button," he added.

"Will Taitlin be here in the morning?" Abby mumbled, laying her head on his shoulder.

Barry looked at Caitlin briefly, knowing his daughter absolutely adored her, and Caitlin very much the same with Abby. Caitlin nodded.

"We can have pancakes," he replied. "If you're up for it."

Caitlin smiled.

"I never say no to food," she replied quietly, and Barry laughed gently before walking Abby down to the room that was across from his and tucking her in. He made sure to place a warm wash cloth over her forehead, and had a cup of water next to her. Finally, he turned on her nightlight, before giving her one final kiss on the forehead, and then he headed out of her room, cracking the door as he did so.

Once he was back in the living room, he spotted Caitlin wrapping her sweater around her, and smiled at her.

"Thanks for taking care of her tonight, Cait," he murmured, and Caitlin smiled softly.

"Anytime," she replied. "I am a doctor, after all."

Barry shook his head, soft smile tugging at his lips.

"How was Joe?" Caitlin asked a moment later.

"He was good, same as he was last time I saw him," Barry shrugged, and Caitlin nodded her head. She looked around for a moment, before clearing her throat.

"Not that you need me to say this, not really, but you're doing a great job with Abby. She's absolutely smitten with you, Barry," Caitlin murmured.

"She's smitten with you, too, Cait," he murmured. Caitlin stared at him for a long moment, before walking towards him and hesitantly kissing him on the cheek. He looked at her as she pulled back.

"Sleep well, Barry," she said quietly, before heading out and walking towards her car. Barry touched his cheek, still warm from her lips, and smiled as she drove down the road.

"Sleep well, Cait," he murmured, before closing the door quietly and retiring for the evening.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Things changed after that. Caitlin spent all her free time with Barry, and Abby. And when Barry was busy with the precinct, Caitlin would go and spend her time with just Abby. Barry soon found himself looking forward to every Thursday night after Abby went to bed. Caitlin would bring over Chinese, and he'd supply the wine, and they would just unwind from their days. They talked, and laughed gently; they shared stories about their pasts. Barry listened with rapt attention every time Caitlin decided to divulge information about her past. Caitlin, who was always so secretive and guarded of her heart, seemed to see something in Barry, because she was trusting him unconditionally. And he, her.

One night, when it was just them and a couple of cartons of orange chicken and chow mien, Caitlin suddenly lowered her chopsticks and looked at Barry.

"You know you're worthy of love, right?" Caitlin asked, and Barry looked up, shocked.

"What?" Barry asked, dumbfounded. Caitlin smiled.

"I said, you're worthy of love," she repeated. Barry opened his mouth to interrupt, but Caitlin held up a hand, silencing him.

"No, just listen. When Iris walked away a year ago, it really did a number on you. I wasn't sure if you'd ever get out of the depression you found yourself in. But, you did. For Abby. And I've seen you transform into this amazing father, with this amazing heart, and it leaves me breathless with pride. And, I thank you. I thank you for letting me be privy to moments like this. When it's just us, eating Chinese, with Abby sleeping soundly, down the hallway," she murmured. Barry stared at her for a long moment.

"You're worthy of love, too, Cait," he replied earnestly, and she looked at him.

"You're worthy of a guy who sees how good you are; how kind, and gentle you can be. Not these idiots you've been dating on and off for the past year," he remarked, and she laughed, blush kissing her cheeks.

Barry laughed gently, as an idea crossed his mind. Clearing his throat, he looked back at Caitlin.

"I think I fell in love you," he murmured, and she looked at him, before smiling again.

"I think I fell in love with you, too," she replied. Then, he wasn't sure who was moving first, they had put aside their cartons and were kissing each other gently; exploring. They kissed for a long time before the need for air became apparent. Pulling apart, Barry pressed his forehead against hers'.

"Where do we go from here?" Caitlin asked softly.

"For starters, how about a real date, in a real restaurant? Grandpa Joe can look after Abby," Barry replied. Caitlin kissed the corner of his mouth.

"Sounds perfect."

Author's note: Jesse! For you! I have a stand alone one shot called, "Until the end of time". Read and let me know what you guys think, if you so wish to. Also, prompts can be left in the comments. Hope you like, friend! XOXO


	26. Chapter 26

"Stop, stop! You're hurting me!" Caitlin screamed, but all Mick did was laugh. The fire burning her skin sent tremors wracking through her body. Mick didn't seem to care; he just kept burning her. She felt the fire eating at her flesh as she screamed, burning her from head to toe. She had been kidnapped by Captain Cold, and Mick, as to draw out the Flash. She had refused to give up his identity, and here they were, as a result.

"Mick, stop. We've got to go meet him," Captain Cold called, and Mick grinned, as he sent one more burst of flames her way. She screamed. Eventually, Mick stopped, and Caitlin breathed through her nose heavily, trying to work her way through the fire like tingling through her body. Her arms, legs, torso, and face burned; there wasn't one part of her body that the scorching fire hadn't touched. She was too tired to fight against the restraints that bound her to the chair, so she didn't fight back as Mick activated the bomb underneath the chair.

"Don't go anywhere alright, darling?" Mick laughed, and she winced against his hot breath next to her ear as he whispered into it. Then, he roughly forced material into her mouth, and she could no longer scream; not that she had the energy to do so.

After they left, Caitlin wasn't sure how long she sat there, fighting the exhaustion threatening to pull her under. Her skin burned, and she was so tired. So very, very tired. She lost sense of time altogether as she sat there, too afraid to move in fear of agitating her burns. Eventually, she heard Cisco's voice, and looked around.

"Caitlin?" Cisco called.

"Cisco!" Caitlin called back, but it sounded muffled against the material in her mouth. He heard her regardless, and followed the sound of her voice. When he spotted her, she tried to turn around and look at him, but her body protested any form of moment.

"I'm going to get you out of there, Cait," Cisco soothed, but she shook her head frantically, despite the pain it ignited.

"No!" Caitlin tried to shout. She wanted to warn him about the bomb under her chair, but she was too tired, and she didn't have the energy to fight anymore.

Joe, whom she hadn't noticed at first, seemed to get the gist of what she was trying to say, however, because he shouted for Cisco to get down a moment later, and threw himself onto Caitlin, knocking her chair out of the way, as soon as Cisco had tripped the wire.

Caitlin cried out in anguish as Joe shoved the chair to the ground, covering her body with his. Caitlin was trembling like a leaf, as she heard the bomb go off, but knew the worst of it was over; they had survived. Then, Cisco ran up to her, and smiled gently.

"Shh, it's okay," he murmured, before taking a good look at her, and noticing the burns that covered every inch of her skin.

"Oh god, Cait," he murmured as he took in the sight of her. She tried to turn, to hide herself, but he stilled her with a gentle hand to her forearm.

"It's okay, Cait," he said soothingly, and she nodded her head. He worked on getting her wrists and ankles free, while Joe took out the gag. Once she was free, she inhaled shakily, trying her best to ignore the tingling she felt in her body.

"Can you walk, Cait?" Cisco asked gently, but she shook her head.

"I-I don't think so," she muttered, fighting the urge to fall asleep. Cisco must've noticed her eyelids drooping, because he shook his head quickly.

"Stay with me, Cait," he said urgently as he looked to Joe. Joe nodded his head.

"Caitlin, I'm going to have to pick you up, alright?" Joe murmured, and she nodded her head tiredly.

"Alright," she mumbled. He bent down and scooped her up, and she cried out against the pain. Once he secured her in his arms, Caitlin could tell he was concentrating hard on not jostling her.

They all but flew out of the warehouse, Cisco leading the way out. Caitlin was surprised to see an ambulance once she was outside, in the cool night air.

"I already called them, just as a precautionary," Joe explained, and she simply nodded.

As soon as the paramedic saw Joe running towards him, he met them half way with a gurney; Joe placed her down gently.

"When's the last time she's had water?" The paramedic asked, and Caitlin glanced at his nametag. Drew, it said.

"Not since she's been here, I can tell you that. So, not since yesterday," Cisco supplied, and Drew frowned.

"Alright, let's get an IV going," he called to his partner, and she nodded, then went about setting it up. Eventually, Caitlin, and Cisco, were bundled into the back of the ambulance, with Joe saying he'd meet them at the hospital. As they drove, Caitlin slept, finally.

XXXXXXX

It was a sharp, angry voice that brought Caitlin back to consciousness.

"Where is she?" Barry demanded, and she frowned. What was Barry doing here? Then, after a quick glance at her body, she realized she was covered in bandages, and remembered what happened. Not wishing for anyone to see her like this, she shook her head at the nurse who was in her room, refilling her water.

"Don't let him in here," she implored, but before the nurse, (Jenny, her nametag read), had a chance to reply, the door was opened, and Barry was running in.

"Cait?" Barry said gently, as soon as he reached her. She turned her head, trying to hide the worst of the burns.

"Don't hide," he murmured, and her heart bled at the gentle tone he was using.

"Barry, please, go away," she rasped out. He shook his head stubbornly.

"No," he replied resolutely, and sat down in the chair next to her bed. His shaking hands reached out for her pitcher of water and cup, pouring her a cup to this best of his capability. Once he had the cup filled, Caitlin watched as he tried to pass it to her lips, but she turned her head at the last moment.

"You need water, Cait," he said gently, but she shook her head.

"I don't want you to see me like this," she implored.

"You're still you," he murmured, and tears came to her eyes.

"No, I'm not," she whispered, staring at the wall opposite of him.

"Yes, you are," Barry insisted.

"Look at me, Barry, I look like some sort of…of…monster," Caitlin said helplessly, trying and failing to stop the tears from falling. They burned her skin, and she hissed in pain. Barry caught her tears with his thumbs gently, hushing her with soft words.

"Cait, you're still as beautiful as ever, if not more so now," he whispered, and she looked at him.

"I've got burns that will turn into scars, Barry," she stated pointedly, but he shook his head.

"No, they'll turn into reminders of what you survived, Cait," he said softly, and she thought about it. He held the cup up, and tapped the side of her mouth. Sighing, she opened her mouth, and he helped tilt her head back, pouring some water down her throat. It felt good.

Once he was satisfied that she had gotten a reasonable amount of water, he lowered the cup and helped ease her back onto her pillows.

"You're beautiful," he murmured repeatedly, and that soothed the ache in her heart. She nodded her head, not quite feeling the best, but better than she had since this whole ordeal had started.

"Sleep now, Cait. I'm not going anywhere," Barry said gently.

"Promise?" Caitlin asked in a small voice, and he placed his hand over hers', rubbing the ace bandage gently.

"Promise," he verified. Nodding her head, she closed her eyes only a moment later, feeling safe at last.

Author's note: Prompt I got about the kidnapping in season one. Hope you like it! Leave prompts in the comments, if you have any! XOXO


	27. Chapter 27

Oddball. Shy. Quiet. Those were the words the other Slytherins would use to describe one Caitlin Snow. How she ended up in Slytherin, she didn't know. As a muggle born at that. She supposed, thanks to the Second War, the societal expectations had changed a bit, so, technically, muggle borns could be a Slytherin. Didn't mean the teasing and taunting hurt any less.

"Hey, mudblood, get out of my way," Tony Woodward said as he pushed past Caitlin, sending her books flying. Hartley huffed as he bent down and helped her pick them up.

"Ignore him, Cait," Hartley stated, and she sighed.

"He seems to get bigger, and more stupid every summer," Caitlin muttered. She had hoped that by her seventh and final year, people would be a bit nicer to her. No such luck.

"It's fine, Hartley," Caitlin added softly when she noticed the pained expression that crossed his features.

"No, it's really not. You're the smartest witch in our year, and still get bullied. I'm tired of it," he snapped, handing off the pile of books to her. Just then, Cisco appeared as they turned the corner.

"Thought I heard you guys," he commented. "And, you're tired of what, Hartley?"

"Woodward, and the rest of his idiots, teaming up against Caitlin and making her feel less than her worth," Hartley muttered, and Cisco sighed.

"I'm so sorry, Cait," he murmured, squeezing her shoulder gently. Caitlin shrugged a nonchalant shoulder.

"It's fine. Let's get to Potions," she said softly. Understanding that she wished to not discuss the topic anymore, both guys nodded, and the three of them made their way to the icy dungeons.

Once they were at their table, and set up, Caitlin watched as the Gryffindors trailed in. Her eyes landed on Barry Allen, who sent her a glare. They had never gotten along, by default. She rolled her eyes before dropping them to her cauldron, waiting for Professor Wells to give the class his instructions. When the lesson started, Caitlin didn't have time to focus on anything but her foaming potion. The three friends were silent as they concocted the potion to the best of their abilities, earning a nod of approval from Professor Wells. Just then, Tony shoved into Caitlin as he made his way passed her, sending her wand flying. Sighing, she went to go retrieve it.

"Ten points from Slytherin, Woodward," Wells called calmly, and Tony huffed out an irritated sigh. When Caitlin was back at her table, Professor Wells paused by her on his second time around the room.

"And, twenty points to Slytherin for not calling him a Neanderthal, Ms. Snow," Professor Wells said quietly, and she smiled at him. Wells had always been her favorite professor.

"Thanks, Professor," she murmured, and he nodded his head once.

"Don't let the Neanderthals get you down, Ms. Snow," he added, before sending her a quick smile and went back to patrolling his class.

When the class ended twenty minutes later, the Slytherin trio packed up their things and began to shuffle out of the class. When she got to the door, she bumped into Barry Allen.

"Watch where you're going, Allen," she hissed, and he smirked.

"Well, Snow, if I wanted to do that, I would've done so already," he drawled out lazily, and she rolled her eyes.

"Move," she huffed out in irritation, before pushing passed him. His laughter reverberated inside her ears as she walked away from the dungeons.

XXXXXXXXXX

"Why is Allen staring at you?" Cisco demanded one afternoon when the three friends found themselves in the library. Caitlin looked up from teetering stacks of books, and the parchment she was writing on. Sure enough, once her eyes sought him out, she found Barry Allen staring at her. He smirked when their eyes met, and she sighed.

"No clue, but don't care," she muttered, before going back to her work. It wasn't even five minutes later that someone cleared their throat, and they looked up to spot Barry grinning like the cat who ate the canary.

"Can we help you, Allen?" Hartley demanded, as he folded his arms across his chest.

"Caitlin, right?" Barry asked, and Caitlin stared at him.

"You've known me for seven years, and you don't know my first name?" Caitlin asked incredulously, but Barry only continued to smirk.

"No, I know it. It's just fun seeing how annoyed I can make you," he commented cheerfully, and Caitlin sighed as she pinched the bridge of her nose.

"Mission accomplished, I'm very annoyed. Now please, go away," she snapped. He laughed.

"I actually came over for something else," he added, and she inhaled through her nose, before exhaling.

"What?" Caitlin asked as calmly as she could muster, knowing that magic in the library against another student was prohibited, no matter how good the reasoning.

"You're the best student in the year," he stated, and she blinked.

"She doesn't need you tell her that, Allen," Hartley snapped, while Cisco rolled his eyes. Barry nodded his head.

"Yeah, I know. I was hoping you could help me with my potions homework," he commented, and Caitlin was floored.

"No, get one of your friends to," she muttered. He sighed.

"They don't understand it either. I wouldn't ask you if it wasn't absolutely necessary," the Gryffindor implored, and she bit her lip.

"Fine," she said after a moment's worth of deliberation. "But only this once."

He grinned again. "I'll see you later then, Snow."

She nodded her head with a resigned sigh. "Meet me back in the library after dinner, tonight."

XXXXXXXXXX

When dinner was over, and Hartley, and Cisco, had bade Caitlin farewell, the studious Slytherin made her way back to the library, ignoring the insults being thrown her way by the purebloods in her house. It wasn't anything new to her.

Once she was in the library, she chose a table in the corner, then set about pulling out her potions book and the notes she had taken. It wasn't too long before she heard a chair being pulled back, and looked up.

"Hey, Snow," Barry said as he sat down. She sighed.

"Let's get one thing straight: we're not here to become friends. I'm here to help you just this once, and then we can go back to ignoring each other like we have done for the past seven years," she bluntly said. He grinned.

"Even if I could be friends with a muggle born, you wouldn't be my first choice, I can promise you that. You take life way too seriously for me to even consider you being good company," he laughed, and she gritted her teeth.

"Let's get started then," she snapped. They worked on their homework, with Barry asking questions as he saw fit. She had to admit, he was hopeless when it came to their potions homework, but not one to let someone fail because of her, she worked hard to make sure he understood what she was teaching him.

Eventually, they got through the homework with Barry understanding the subject material a bit better.

"Thanks, Snow," he commented with a yawn, and she nodded her head.

"You're welcome," she murmured, tired, and thinking longingly of a cup of tea and her favorite book.

Barry hesitated, before piling his stuff back into his bag.

"What's it like, being one of the few muggle borns in Slytherin?" Barry asked curiously, and she shrugged a shoulder.

"About as bad as you'd think," she muttered wearily.

"Your two friends though, they're purebloods?" Barry pressed, and she sighed.

"Yes, but blood status doesn't mean anything to them. Not like it does to people like you, and Woodward," she said pointedly.

"It means something to my dad, not me," Barry said quietly, and she looked at him.

"You're seventeen, an adult. Isn't it time you stopped listening to every poisonous idea about blood status your dad tells you?" Caitlin asked, and he shrugged.

"I suppose," he agreed. They didn't say anything more after that. But, Barry did make it a habit to talk to her more, Caitlin would come to find out over the next few weeks.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

One night, after countless conversations and days spent in the library, Barry came over to their table and sat down.

"Allen, what do you think you're doing?" Cisco asked, pausing the bite of steak and kidney pie he had halfway to his mouth.

"Sitting with my friend," he said bluntly, and Caitlin wondered why that sentence warmed her from head to toe. She shook herself free of the thoughts as she took a drink of pumpkin juice. Barry turned his attention to her.

"Fancy a walk on the grounds, Caitlin?" Barry asked, and she thought about it. The two of them had been hanging out, with her even going as far as watching one of his Quidditch games. Surely, a walk wouldn't kill her.

"Alright," she said quietly. They got up and left the Great Hall not too long after that.

When they made it outside, Barry led her all the way down to the Black Lake, and they sat down on the water's edge.

"I got an E on my potions homework earlier this week," he said after a few moments of peaceful quiet. She felt warm with pride.

"That's great," she said softly. "I told you that you'd get the hang of it."

"I think it comes down to you tutoring me, really," he admitted with a shrug, and she smiled.

"Let's agree to disagree," she said quietly, and he laughed gently.

She tucked her knees up to her chest, staring at the water.

"What are you thinking about, Caitlin?" Barry asked softly, as he moved to sit by her. She stared at the water, watching as the Giant Squid bobbed around the surface as first years threw bread at it.

"How out of place I feel in my life," she said honestly, ignoring the way he was staring at her.

"Explain that?" Barry asked softly, and she chose her words with care.

"It's bad enough being a Slytherin because of the reputation we have; but being a muggle born Slytherin? I can't even begin to explain how everyone hates you; even people in your own house," she murmured, thinking of Tony. Barry sighed.

"And it doesn't help when an arrogant, pureblood Gryffindor doesn't make anything easy for you," he muttered, and Caitlin chuckled dryly.

"Nope," she said. Barry shook his head.

"I'm sorry for how I've treated you in the past, Caitlin," he murmured.

"It's not the worst treatment I've received, believe me," she stated, and he frowned.

"Well, trust me when I say my behavior is a thing of the past," he assured, and she looked at him.

"No more listening to what Daddy says about blood types?" Caitlin asked carefully, and he shook his head.

"No more," he promised softly. Barry did something he had never done to her before then. He kissed her.

When they broke apart, she looked at him in surprise.

"What was that for?" Caitlin asked softly.

"Just, a promise for a better future," he murmured, and she felt warmth radiate through her. Maybe her final year wouldn't be so bad.

Author's note: Prompt I got that I really enjoyed. Enough so, to make a series of Hogwarts one shots! If you're an HP nerd like me, leave me a request! XOXO


	28. Chapter 28

He had been sitting on the couch with Iris, listening to her melodious laughter and feeling so much guilt, when the call came. It was Cisco, telling Barry that the unthinkable had happened. Caitlin Snow was dead. Getting to his feet, Iris watched him in concern.

"Barry, who was that?" Iris asked softly, carefully.

"Cisco. Caitlin died," he said numbly. Iris opened her mouth as pain crossed her features, but Barry didn't stay long enough to find out what she wanted to say. He was running.

XXXX

When he reached Star Labs, he skidded to a stop in the medical bay, and came face to face with Caitlin's lifeless body.

"No," he whispered brokenly. "No!"

Barry ran to her, and stopped right next to her, grabbing her hand. He noticed it was cold with dread, but that didn't stop him from tugging on it.

"Caitlin, open your eyes. Now," he demanded, knowing in his heart it would be useless. But he'd be damned if he didn't try.

Cisco appeared by him then, eyes swollen with tears and face covered in grief.

"There's nothing you can do, Barry," he croaked, and Barry grit his teeth.

"Don't say that. I can fix this," he snapped.

"How?" Cisco whispered, and Barry thought fast.

"I'm a time traveler, I'll go back and undo this," he said, but Cisco shook his head.

"Don't you think we've suffered enough with your time traveling?" Cisco snapped, and Barry winced. He knew his friend was right, that he couldn't do that, even though he so desperately wanted to.

Barry bit his lip, staring at his friend. She looked peaceful, something that had been lacking in her life of late. He knew that he should let her go, but he didn't want to; he wasn't ready to face that kind of heartache.

"Where's her necklace?" Barry demanded, once he saw it wasn't on her.

"Julian took it off, to save her," Cisco muttered. Barry saw red.

"So, he took it off because he thought he'd save her that way? With no respect to her wishes?" Barry snapped, and Cisco sighed.

"I said the same thing, but little good it did," he said wearily. Barry studied his friend; he looked exhausted, tired to the bone.

"You should go home, get some sleep," Barry muttered.

"I don't think I'll be sleeping for a long time," Cisco said as a tear slipped out and slid down the tip of his nose. Barry nodded his head.

"Still, you shouldn't be here. Shouldn't have to see her like this," he said. Cisco studied him.

"You should go home, too, back to Iris," he said, and Barry didn't have to work hard to hear the bitterness in his voice. Cisco had known the truth. How Barry harbored feelings for both women. He swore he'd never tell.

"Cisco," Barry began, but Cisco raised a hand and halted him in his tracks.

"Don't, Barry," he snapped. "You couldn't be man enough to tell Caitlin how you felt, or to be honest with Iris. I don't want to hear it."

"Please," Barry pleaded, hoping to make amends; to make things right. But, Cisco just shook his head.

"No," he said simply. "You don't get to do that. If you weren't so busy with trying to figure out your feelings, you could've been here, like a real friend. She needed you. And you let her down."

With that, Cisco turned on his heel and strode out of the room, leaving Barry alone to his thoughts and a friend he was never going to see again. A friend who could've been something more if he wasn't so scared.

He looked at Caitlin before running a weary hand over his face.

"I just want to say, I'm sorry," he began shakily. "So, so sorry."

He paused, and looked at her face, trying to find the right words as he did so. Her eyes were closed and there was no hint of anguish etched into her features; she could have been sleeping. He knew the truth.

"I know I wasn't here for you this year, like a real friend should have been. That was in part because of Iris, but also in part because I was afraid of my growing feelings. I didn't know how to put into words how I felt about you; how to tell you. And now, I don't have the chance to even be able to try," he murmured, shoulders shaking with the weight of his grief. It was like losing his parents all over again.

He stared down at her, and placed his hand over hers', hoping to warm it with his. He thought over all the nights they had spent working together as a team to bring in meta humans. She had trusted him inexplicably, and Cisco was right. He had let her down. Feeling his face screw up in pain, he placed a gentle kiss to her forehead.

"I love you, Caitlin Snow," he whispered. Then, feeling as if he couldn't bare a second more of unreleased anguish, Barry Allen cried.

Author's note: What a sad one to write. Hope you like it. Prompts accepted in the comments. XOXO


	29. Chapter 29

Caitlin sighed as Barry helped guide her into the cortex, limping the whole while. She couldn't believe she had gotten herself hurt. On a mission at that. She knew her powers had been the reason they deterred their meta from following through with his act, but it didn't come without consequences. Like, a bullet being shot into her leg for example.

"I have to lift you up onto the bed," Barry murmured, and Caitlin sighed.

"Alright," she muttered. He lifted her up, and she cried out.

"Sorry," he murmured as he placed her on the bed. Eyes squeezing shut, she gritted her teeth, inhaling shakily.

"It's fine," she muttered. Breathing deeply through the pain., she leaned back onto the pillows. Barry tried to be as gentle as possible when straightening out her leg, she could tell, but the movement still caused her to hiss in pain.

"Easy," Barry soothed, and she nodded her head.

"Alright," she said. He went about digging the bullet out, and she bit her lip to stop herself from crying out in pain. Luckily, the bullet didn't seem to puncture anything vital, not from the amount of blood she had lost. So, there was that.

"You were very reckless tonight, you know," Barry said quietly, eyes on her leg as he worked. Caitlin frowned.

"What do you mean?" Caitlin demanded, then hissed as Barry turned her leg.

"Oops," he murmured, and she rolled her eyes. She got the sense that he wasn't sorry about that. She waited for him to continue explaining his previous statement.

Sighing, he nodded his head. "You got yourself shot when I explicably told you to stay behind me."

"Barry," Caitlin frowned. "You had your hands full with three different guys. Our meta was about to get away. I couldn't let that happen."

"And, look at the price you paid," Barry said softly, eyes and hands still working in sync with her each other against her leg.

Caitlin's expression softened. "I'm sorry."

"You have to be more careful, Cait. You may have powers, and you may be in control of them, but that doesn't mean it makes it any less easy to see my best friend, who is also my girlfriend, get herself hurt," he stated.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, ducking her head down in shame.

They fell silent then, each absorbed in their thoughts. Guilt swam in Caitlin's veins as Barry worked on her leg. She knew he was right: she had been reckless. She just wasn't sure if it was because he had his hands full, or if there was an underlining reason behind her actions.

"I think," she began a moment later, choosing her words with care. "It was because I was determined to prove myself."

Barry never stopped his work. "Explain that, please."

"I think that I wanted to know I was utilizing my powers for good. That Killer Frost was actually going to help the team," Caitlin murmured, thinking about everything that led her to being on the bed, with a gun shot wound.

"Sweetheart, you always use your powers for good. You don't have to prove that to anybody," Barry said quietly.

"I think I was trying to prove it to myself," Caitlin admitted.

"You don't have to prove it to yourself, either," Barry murmured. He finally withdrew his hands.

"Bullet has been removed. Wish I could've gotten you to the hospital; a doctor would've done a better job," he muttered with a frown, and Caitlin smiled tiredly.

"We both know I'm not allowed in a hospital," she reminded him.

"Something that is utterly unfair," he sighed deeply, and she laughed gently.

"The price you pay when your doppelganger takes over the police station," she shrugged, and he frowned.

"Still, it's not fair that Caitlin Snow must be the one to pay the price for Killer Frost's choices," he said bluntly, and she smiled, touched at his frustration on her behalf.

"Barry Allen, I think I'm in love with you," she murmured.

"Caitlin Snow, I know I'm in love with you," he replied without hesitation, and she smiled, the sentence warming her from head to toe. Nothing else was said just then as Barry wrapped her leg. The support it provided was nice, and she found herself warm, and comfortable in the bed.

He stood up from where he had been bent over her leg.

"No more stupid decisions, alright baby?" Barry asked softly, and she nodded her head.

"No more stupid decisions," she agreed, and he smiled.

"You should get some sleep," he murmured, but she shook her head.

"I want to be here, with you," she mumbled. He bent down and kissed her forehead, and her eyes fluttered closed upon contact.

"I'll still be here when you wake up. I'm not going anywhere, sweetheart," he said.

"Promise?" Caitlin asked softly, timidly.

"Promise," he replied with conviction, and that was enough to soothe the worries that planted themselves in her mind. Yawning, she nodded her head tiredly once more.

"Sleep now, sweetheart," were the last words she heard before succumbing to her tiredness. She felt safe.

Author's note: Prompt I got. Hope you like it! Couple more to get to. XOXO


	30. Chapter 30

"Are you sure you want to try the Flash, Cait?" Barry asked his girlfriend as they made their way into jitters. Caitlin crooked an eyebrow at him.

"Why? Don't think I can handle it? Besides, are you sure you want to try the Killer Frost?" Caitlin asked.

"Challenge accepted, Snow," Barry murmured.

"Game on, Allen," Caitlin whispered, smiling slightly. After placing, and receiving, their orders, the couple made their way to a table in the back, tucked away from the main crowd. Sitting down, Caitlin looked at Barry, who was looking at her in turn.

"Cheers," she murmured, and they hit their cups together, before taking sips out of them. It was nothing like Caitlin had ever tasted before. The sheer amount of caffeine that was in the cup put all the other caffeinated cups of coffee she had had to rest. Swallowing, she blinked.

"Woah, head rush," she mumbled. She was expecting a laugh out Barry, at the least, a soft chuckle, but nothing. She looked up, and nearly laughed herself. He looked like he was horrified.

"Cold isn't it?" Caitlin laughed softly, and he nodded his head mutely.

"You could say that," he muttered, licking his lips. "It feels like my insides are frozen."

"Welcome to my world, Allen," Caitlin whispered, and he rolled his eyes.

"You're able to keep yourself warm when you're Caitlin," he said softly, and she nodded her head. That was true. She looked back at her coffee cup, and decided to be brave; she took a longer sip this time.

"Careful babe, there's a lot of caffeine in it," Barry laughed gently, and she nodded her head again.

"I know, I can literally feel it coursing through my veins," she declared dramatically, and Barry laughed again.

"Such a flare for the dramatics," he teased. They fell silent then, each taking drinks out of their cups. Barry cleared his throat a few minutes later.

"How does it feel? To have a drink named after you?" Barry asked softly.

"Named after Killer Frost, not me," Caitlin corrected automatically.

"You're one in the same, babe," Barry murmured, and she sighed.

"I know that, I do. It's just…sometimes it feels like people would rather be around her, not me. I mean, you don't see a coffee drink named Caitlin Snow," Caitlin sighed.

"You don't see one named Barry Allen, either, sweetheart," Barry murmured, and she thought about that, before laughing softly.

"I'm being silly, aren't I? Getting jealous over my doppelganger having a coffee named after her," Caitlin murmured, and Barry squeezed her hand gently.

"I can't tell you the amount of times I get jealous over the Flash," he commented thoughtfully, and Caitlin looked at him.

"I mean, he's a hero; he literally saves the day. I'm just Barry Allen, how do I compete with that?" Barry asked, and Caitlin sighed, taking her turn to squeeze his hand.

"But, I fell in love with Barry Allen, not the Flash," she reminded him, and the blinding smile that took over his face was enough to clue her into the fact that she had said something inexplicably right.

"The same thing happened with me, Cait," he murmured. "I fell in love with Caitlin Snow, the woman who radiates warmth. Not Killer Frost."

It was Caitlin's turn to smile.

"Thanks, Barry," she said quietly. Nothing more was said as they finished their drinks.

XXXXX

"Babe, babe, babe!" Caitlin sang. "Let's clean our entire apartment, from top to bottom!"

"Caitlin," Barry grumbled, rolling over in bed and peeking his eyes open to stare at the clock. "It's one-thirty in the morning. Go to sleep."

Caitlin shook her head. "Can't. Have too much energy."

"Yeah, well, that's what you get for drinking an entire cup called 'The Flash'," Barry muttered, throwing his arm over his eyes. Caitlin laughed.

"It was good, too," she agreed. Barry made a noncommittal grunt but didn't answer. She huffed, and tugged on his arm; he grunted again and yanked it back underneath the covers.

"Clean the apartment yourself, Flash Jr," Barry mumbled, and Caitlin laughed. She liked the sound of that.

"Oh, I will," she promised, and stood up, going to get their cleaning supplies.

"I was kidding, Caitlin Snow," she heard Barry call from their room, but she merely laughed.

Cleaning the apartment, she decided the Flash wasn't such a bad coffee drink after all. It gave her ample opportunities to get things done she'd usually couldn't when she was sleeping. Maybe, she'd have to try it again sometime.

Author's note: Just a short one about trying each other's drinks. Hope you like it, friend! Prompts accepted in the comments. XOXO


	31. Chapter 31

Barry couldn't believe he had created an alternate universe that he liked. Flashpoint was everything that he could've possibly dreamed of and more. His parents were alive, and his team was back together and in action. True, Cisco was a multi-millionaire, while Caitlin was a kid's optometrist, but it was the way it should be. Perfect. He didn't have to worry about crime fighting, didn't have to worry about being the hero; Wally and Iris took care of that for him.

One morning, as he made his way to Jitters with Caitlin, he found himself reveling in the perfection that was Flashpoint. He had his family, and friends. Joe's drinking habits were slowly diminishing. Everything was as it should be.

"Barry, can you hear me?" Caitlin's voice pulled him from his musings, and he blinked, looking at her apologetically.

"What?" Barry asked, and she chuckled.

"I said, it's your turn to order. Where's your head this morning?" Caitlin asked curiously, and he shoved his hands into his pockets, shrugging a nonchalant shoulder.

"Nowhere of importance," he murmured. "Just, happy to be here."

"You'll be even happier once you have your coffee," Caitlin commented wisely, and he smiled. Somethings never changed, even when in an alternate universe. Following that line of thought, he ordered his coffee, a Flash, and made his way to the end of the bar where they waited for their beverages, talking the whole time.

"Do you have a lot of patients to see this morning?" Barry asked, and Caitlin nodded.

"A few," she murmured. "An optometrist never sleeps."

"You're a hero," Barry teased, and they shared a secret smirk before taking their coffees that were handed to them and making their way to a table in the back, tucked away from the main crowd. After sitting down and taking his first sip, Barry hummed contentedly as the hot liquid hit his tongue, warming him from head to toe.

"What about you?" Caitlin asked, and Barry looked at her. "What're your plans for the day?"

Barry wasn't sure what he was going to do. Having given up his powers, he had a lot of free time, free time to do whatever he pleased. It was a nice feeling. Shrugging, he cleared his throat.

"I'm not sure. I figured I could go see Iris and Wally, then take my parents out for lunch or something," he commented, and Caitlin nodded her head approvingly.

"Tell them I say hello," she murmured, and he smiled.

"I will, Cait," he promised softly, and they left the conversation there. The good thing about being honest with Caitlin from the beginning, was the fact that she knew about Wally and Iris. How Wally was Flashpoint's true Flash, and how Iris helped him bring in meta humans by being his eyes and ears. Another thing that surprised Barry about the alternate reality was that his feelings for Iris didn't seem to be present. True, that took some getting used to, but he was pleasantly surprised to find out he could be her friend without the ever ache to be something more. It was a nice realization.

After they finished their coffees, Barry and Caitlin parted ways with a quick hug.

"Call me later, and we can get dinner or something, alright?" Barry asked, and Caitlin smiled.

"Chinese?" Caitlin asked hopefully.

"Orange chicken with chow mien, I know," Barry replied fondly, and she clapped her hands together, squealing. Somethings never changed, no matter what universe they were in. They parted ways then, with Caitlin promising to call him later; it left a warm feeling in his chest that he chose to explore at another time.

XXXX

When Barry got to Star Labs, it was in full swing. Iris was at the monitors, encouraging Wally with their latest meta human, and Barry smiled, reveling in the fact that it wasn't his responsibility to catch the bad guy this time.

"How's he doing?" Barry asked as he went to go stand behind Iris. She smiled.

"Perfect, almost has him," she murmured, and it wasn't hard for Barry to detect the hint of pride coloring her tone; the brother and sister made a good duo.

"He'll have him in little to no time," Barry commented, and sure enough, Wally flashed in a few moments later, meta human slung over his shoulder.

"Hey, man," Wally greeted Barry, and Barry smiled.

"Good job on the time," Barry praised, and Wally smirked.

"Comes with the title of "fastest man alive"," he agreed, and Barry chuckled.

"I'm going to go put him in the pipeline, hang on," Wally added, flashing away and returning a few moments later.

"Done," he grinned, Iris matching it with one of her own.

"Good job, baby brother," Iris said, and they shared a fist bump.

"Where were you this morning, man?" Wally asked curiously. "You're usually the first one here, apart from Iris."

"I had coffee with Caitlin before she had to go to work," Barry replied, and didn't miss the smirk the siblings shared. Looking back and forth between them, Barry frowned.

"What? What was the smirk for?" Barry asked.

"Nothing," Iris said quickly, smiling sweetly.

Deciding to not push, Barry dropped the subject altogether. He cleared his throat.

"Well, I have plans with my parents later, but I just wanted to stop by, see how things were going here," he said, and Wally smiled.

"As you can tell, things are going smoothly," he replied, and Barry laughed before looking at Iris.

"What about you, Iris? Still planning on meeting Joe for coffee?" Barry asked. With a little time and effort, the father and daughter were able to start repairing their fractured relationship; after Joe had agreed to give up the alcohol. Iris nodded her head.

"We are," she declared happily, and that left Barry feeling proud of her. He made a hum of approval.

"Good," he murmured. The three friends hung out for a bit, chatting, before Wally was called away again, and it was time for Barry to meet his parents for lunch.

"Give them hell, Wally," Barry said before getting ready to leave.

"Always," Wally replied, smirking, before flashing off.

"Tell your parents I said hello," Iris commented, and Barry smiled.

"I will," Barry promised, before hugging her goodbye and leaving her to handle the monitors once more.

XXXX

When Barry met his parents at the restaurant they had agreed on for lunch, he smiled warmly at them.

"Mon, dad, hey," he greeted, and kissed his mother on the cheek.

"Hello, baby boy," Nora Allen replied, and Barry led them to the table, sitting down.

They placed their orders, and once the waiter walked away, Nora looked at her son.

"How was coffee with Caitlin?" Nora asked kindly, and Barry smiled.

"Good, it was nice to see her before she had to go to work. I promised her dinner this evening," Barry replied, and for the second time, he saw two people exchange a smirk.

"Alright, what's with the smirking?" Barry asked, and Nora laughed gently.

"No reason," she promised, but Barry looked to his dad.

"Dad?" Barry challenged, and Henry Allen nodded his head.

"Do you like her?" Henry asked curiously, and Barry felt himself grow warm. Tugging at the collar of his shirt, he shook his head.

"N-not like that," he mumbled, wondering why his voice was shaking.

"You know, it would be alright if you did, right?" Nora asked gently, and Barry felt the heat creeping further up his face.

"I-I," Barry mumbled incoherently, wondering why he couldn't get his thoughts together long enough to string a sentence together.

"So articulate," Henry laughed, and Barry sighed, thinking about Caitlin for a moment; really examining the thoughts and feelings he had towards her. He was surprised to find out that he might want something more with her.

"Alright, I may care for her," he murmured, deciding to be honest. It left him floored, but a warm feeling nestled itself inside of his heart nonetheless. Just then, his phone rang. Glancing down, he noticed it was Iris, and looked at his parents.

"It's Iris, might be something important," he murmured apologetically, but his parents waved him off, seemingly understanding.

"Hello?" Barry asked, after answering the call.

"Caitlin's missing," came the reply, and those were the only words that Barry needed to hear to leave his parents and rush out of the restaurant, as fast as his legs would carry him.

XXXX

When he got to Star Labs thirty minutes later, he was sweaty and out of breath, and wishing, for the first time, that he did have his speed. He spotted Iris at the monitors and hurried over to her.

"What do we know?" Barry asked urgently, and Iris sighed.

"Not much," she apologized.

"Not good enough," Barry snapped, then winced.

"Sorry, Iris," he mumbled, but she just shook her head.

"It's okay, I'm as mad as you," she promised softly. He looked at the screens, spotting Wally's dot, and trailing him with his eyes as he ran through the city.

"Who's the meta?" Barry asked, and Iris tapped away on the computer as she replied.

"Someone who's an enemy of the Flash. He knew that Caitlin was apart of the team, and took her to get to Wally. Idiot," Iris muttered as an afterthought.

"Guys, I've located her," Wally's voice stated a few moments later, and Barry felt relief wash through him, so strong, it left him lightheaded. Maybe he did have some feelings to address, but he'd explore those later. Like, when Caitlin was back by his side safely, unscathed.

Barry waited on pins and needles while Iris walked Wally through the attack, desperately hoping to hear some word on how Caitlin was doing.

Eventually, Wally's voice called through again.

"She's fine, a little bruised but relatively safe," Wally said, and Barry sighed deeply, gratefully.

They were back in next to no time, Caitlin looking confused as to what the hell was going on. That didn't stop Barry from rushing to her, determined to see for himself that she truly was fine.

"Cait, are you okay?" Barry asked softly, hands resting on her shoulders as he checked her over. She nodded her head.

"Fine," she murmured.

"Promise?" Barry asked.

"Promise," she said softly, and his exhaled.

"Thank God," he muttered, pulling her into his chest and hugging her tightly.

Looking around, he noticed Wally had left. He didn't have to wonder for too long as to where he went. He arrived back a moment later, meta human slung over his shoulder, and sending Caitlin's hair flying around her.

"Got him, putting him in the pipeline," he said.

"Good," Barry said vehemently, glowering at the man.

Iris looked between Caitlin and Barry, smiling softly.

"Good to have you back, Cait," she murmured. "Why don't we give them some time alone, Wally?"

Wally, who had come back from depositing their meta, nodded his head.

"Alright," he agreed, clapping Barry on the shoulder and smiling warmly at Caitlin.

"Glad you're safe, Cait," he said sincerely, and she smiled again, before Wally and Iris left, leaving Barry alone.

XXXX

Several hours later found Barry and Caitlin in her apartment, eating out of cartons of Chinese food.

"How are you doing, Cait?" Barry asked softly, and she shrugged.

"Alright. Nothing a little tea and sleep won't help me bounce back from," she murmured, and Barry smiled.

"Good," he breathed out. They fell quiet then, and Barry thought over his parent's words, asking him if he liked her. Clearing his throat, he looked at her.

"You know, I was really scared when I got the call from Iris, saying you were missing," he admitted honestly, and she frowned in sympathy.

"I'm sorry," she murmured, and Barry quickly shook his head.

"Not your fault," he said softly, and she smiled, but said nothing else, instead, choosing to look at him curiously.

He inhaled shakily. "I-I think I might like you. More than as a friend."

She smiled. "I think might like you, too. More than as a friend."

And that soothed his aching heart. Without knowing who was leading, they placed their cartons of food down on the ground, and began kissing softly. When the need for air became apparent, they broke apart, but Barry placed his lips against her forehead, and held them there, not wanting to be too far from her.

"What do you say about moving forward with this?" Barry asked, waving a hand between the two of them. Caitlin's blinding smile was all the confirmation he needed.

"I think that sounds wonderful," she murmured.

Yes, he was happy Flashpoint existed.

Author's note: Prompt for anon. Hope you like it! Prompts accepted in the comments. XOXO


	32. Chapter 32

Caitlin had been waiting anxiously all day. If she was being honest with herself, she had been waiting anxiously ever since the appointment. Waiting for the right time to tell her husband the news. She wasn't sure how he was going to take it, what with the city constantly needing protection. However, it was safe to say that Caitlin was ecstatic. She put a hand to her belly and rubbed soft circles on it.

"He'll be home soon, little one. Then, we can tell your daddy the news together," she murmured, smiling softly. They were pregnant. She was going to be the mother of his child. It was still surreal to think about, let alone say out loud, but she knew she wouldn't change one thing. She was ready. They were ready. She just hoped her husband saw it that way.

It wasn't too long before Barry came home.

"Cait? I'm home," Barry called through their apartment, and she smiled. Time to get the show on the road. She smiled as he walked into their living room, noting his look of frustration, and immediately swapped her smile for a frown.

"What's wrong, babe?" Caitlin asked softly, gently. He sighed as he rubbed his forehead.

"There's no easy way to say this, so I'm just going to say it: I don't think you should fight in the field with me anymore," he said bluntly, and her frown grew more pronounced as she stood up. Was…was he worried about the baby? No, that couldn't possibly be it; she hadn't even told him. Plus, a few more weeks in the field wouldn't hurt.

"Why not?" Caitlin asked, posture immediately turning defensive. Barry sighed.

"I can't stand knowing you could get hurt every day you go out there with me," he said, and Caitlin rolled her eyes. Gone was the euphoria at wanting to tell him about their little one; now, she was preparing herself for a fight.

"Barry, I can handle myself," she reminded him pointedly.

"I know, I'm not objecting that. I'm just saying you shouldn't have to. I shouldn't put you in that position," he replied firmly. Caitlin shook her head, feeling her powers start to stir underneath the surface. She mostly had them under control, but when she felt threatened from time to time, they surged forward, crashing over her like a tidal wave. And, this was a time she felt threatened. Well, defensive was perhaps the better word; either way, Killer Frost was looming near the surface. Taking a steadying breath, she squared her shoulders.

"You don't get to make that decision for me," she stated, but he shook his head.

"As my wife, I should get some say in your safety," he declared, and she narrowed her eyes.

"And, as your wife, I should get to tell you when you're being an idiot. Now, is when you're being an idiot," she said in a trembling voice. She had to remind herself to stay in check, but it was hard. Especially when Barry was moving towards her, encroaching on her space. She took a step back.

"Don't," she warned, feeling the ice traveling through her veins, a tell-tale sign. He didn't heed her warning, just kept moving forward, making her feel more threatened and out of control. When he held his hands up to grasp hers', she lost control completely, feeling herself shift into her alter ego.

"Don't," Killer Frost hissed; she was in control now. Barry looked at her.

"Bring back my wife," he said calmly, but Killer Frost shook her head.

"No, let's you and I have a chat, Flash," she replied.

Barry folded his arms across his chest, and grit his teeth.

"About what, Frost?" Barry asked.

"About the fact that you don't want Caitlin in the field, which, technically means you don't want me in the field. I'm the one you partner up with every day," Killer Frost said icily.

"Fine, I don't want you in the field," Barry stated.

"Why not?" Killer Frost hissed, eyes flashing. Barry inhaled deeply.

"Because every day, I must watch my wife shift into you, and then you go out into the field and fight. While my wife is still there, just hidden away. You die, she dies. Plain and simple," Barry managed to say calmly, and Killer Frost raised an eyebrow, before raising her voice.

"How does little miss sunshine feel about you coddling her?" Killer Frost demanded, and Barry threw his hands up in frustration.

"It's not coddling her, it's protecting her !" Barry shouted, but Killer Frost matched him.

"I'm protecting her! And you! You're an idiot without me!" Killer Frost yelled, and the fight escalated, before Killer Frost let out a bitter laugh. She felt Caitlin fighting to come through, and knew it wouldn't be long before she burst free once more, so took her opportunity to dig the knife in deep, hurting Barry the way he had hurt her.

"All this shouting isn't good for the baby, Flash," she said calmly, and smiled when he stopped yelling midsentence.

"What?" Barry whispered, but Killer Frost shook her head.

"Love to stay and chat, but your wife wants her turn to yell at you. See you out on the field," Killer Frost said, and then Caitlin shifted back, blinking as she did so. She stared around, stretching out her fingers; the cold had all but evaporated from them. Sighing, she looked at her husband.

"Killer Frost make an appearance?" Caitlin asked quietly, and Barry nodded his head.

"She had some very interesting things to say, at that," he murmured, and Caitlin felt fear swirl up in her belly, and unconsciously put a hand to it gently. Surely, Killer Frost wouldn't have told him.

"What?" Caitlin hedged, unsure of what she was going to hear.

"Cait, a baby," Barry whispered, walking towards her and placing his hand on her stomach. "Are you pregnant?"

Caitlin sighed, dropping her head.

"I wanted to be the one to tell you," she muttered, annoyed at her doppelganger from taking that way from her. Barry placed both of his hands on her cheeks, and tilted her head up until he was looking into her eyes.

"So, you are?" Barry asked, and Caitlin didn't have to strain to hear his excitement. Still, she was disappointed.

"This is not how I wanted you to find out," she sighed. "During a fight, and then from Killer Frost herself. I'm sure she didn't have the best of intentions when telling you."

Barry chuckled, kissing her forehead gently. "She probably didn't, but I think there might have been some good intentions buried deep. She still wants to fight, but I think she may have been a little concerned about the fighting causing undue stress, deep down."

"I had it all planned. I was going to ask about your day, enjoy dinner with you, then, tell you over dessert," Caitlin mumbled.

"Baby, I don't need any grand gestures when telling me these sort of things," Barry whispered, kissing her nose. "It's you and me, has been for a long time. We've never done grand gestures before; just a simple conversation at dinner would've still left me the happiest man on the planet."

Caitlin looked up at him timidly. "Really?"

"Really," Barry whispered, finally kissing her on the lips. Caitlin let herself get lost in the kiss until she grew dizzy. When they broke apart for air, Caitlin sighed contentedly.

"I suppose, it might not be a bad idea to sit out on a few missions here and there," she commented thoughtfully, hand resting against her husbands' on her stomach; he was tracing soothing patterns into the skin with the pad of his thumb and it felt nice.

Barry chuckled. "Killer Frost won't get the chance to fight me on that again."

"Alright," Caitlin laughed. "Just, don't come at me, ready for a fight again."

Barry laughed warmly, settling his lips against her forehead once more.

"Deal baby. And, Cait? We're going to be just fine," he murmured, and Caitlin knew he'd go to the ends of the earth to keep that promise.

Author's note: Prompt I got. Hope you like it. I've got a prompt from another page I post to, so I'll be working on that soon. Also, and this is a more serious note, but my grandmother is sick right now. She's doing a bunch of tests to see what it is, and rule out serious illnesses like cancer. In a nutshell, my grandmother means to me what Caitlin's dad means to her in all my stories. She's my best friend, so I'm worried right now. Prayers, good thoughts, well wishes, positive vibes…basically anything that you deem necessary and feel generous enough to send my way would be greatly appreciated. Apart from that, if writing must take a backseat at some point, I hope you all understand. For now, it doesn't. As usual, prompts accepted in the comments. Thanks. XOXO


	33. Chapter 33

Caitlin, a shy omega, was certain she'd never find her alpha. Sure, there had been plenty of offers, but none that had ever interested her enough to follow them. She stuck with her pack, convincing herself her friends were all she needed. She followed Hartley and the rest of her pack, content to just be apart of a family. That all changed when Barry Allen crept into her life.

From the start, she could tell Barry Allen was a proud alpha; someone who followed his own set of rules. He led his own pack, something she was interested by. The day they first met was the day she fell in love. And, there was no looking back after that first meeting.

It had been an unusually warm, windy day. It was nice to have a brief break from the cold weather they had been experiencing. Deciding to take full advantage of it, Caitlin transformed into her wolf form, alerting the other members of her pack she was going to go for a run. They wished her a good time, but also warned her to not stray too far into the woods, should hunters be enjoying the weather, as well.

Running, she decided to heed their warnings, and stayed right on the outskirts of the woods, not letting herself stray into the inner depths of the forest. Enjoying the warm rays of sunshine on her fur, Caitlin ran, soaking in the sun. It wasn't long before the bristles on her back started to rise, and she looked around, sniffing the air as she did so.

Soon enough, she found what caused herself to go into panic mode, and started snarling. Not even ten feet from her where hunters, encroaching on her space. Hackles raised, Caitlin continued to snarl as the hunters crept in on her. She chanced a glance back behind her, and realized she was surrounding. Wishing she had the rest of her pack with her, Caitlin realized she'd have to fight them off on her own. Baring her teeth, Caitlin prepared for the fight. She just didn't expect to get stabbed in the process.

Whimpering, Caitlin felt the knife embed itself into her stomach. She fell onto her belly and, with her thoughts on her pack, got ready to succumb to the darkness threatening to pull her under. It was then that she heard loud snarling, and looked around: the hunters were surrounded by another wolfpack, outnumbering them. She could tell by the color of their fur that it wasn't her wolfpack, however. Tail between her legs, she lost her grip on consciousness altogether, slipping into the dark abyss.

XXX

When Caitlin came to sometime later, the first thing she realized was the she was still in her wolf form. The next, and more alarming, thing she realized was that she was next to a man she had never seen before. Snarling, she began to ferociously snap her teeth at him.

"Shh, it's okay. You're safe," the man soothed, but it did little to ease her fear. He placed his hand on her back, rubbing it softly.

"I'm going to change into my wolf form, show that I'm like you. Alright?" The question was soft, and the man immediately walked away, and came back, changed. Caitlin recognized that he was an alpha right away, and that soothed her a little bit. She sniffed him, and he let her, not moving. Once she realized that he wasn't going to hurt her, it slowed the racing of her heart. He walked off again, and came back into the room, dressed in clothes once more.

"I'm Barry, and I am the leader of the pack that found you with the hunters," Barry murmured gently, and Caitlin remembered the group of hunters; the stabbing. Whimpering, she went about looking for the stab wound. Recognizing what she was after, Barry carded his fingers through her fur.

"I got our doctor, Megan, to stitch the wound. It was shallow, so you were lucky," Barry said gently.

"Think you can change back?" Barry asked a moment later. Caitlin realized there was a blanket over her, so that made her feel more comfortable with changing back into her human form; she did so a moment later.

"Hello, Barry," she rasped out, and he brought her a cup of water. Sipping out of it, she felt it soothe her parched throat.

"What's your name?" Barry asked her softly.

"Caitlin," she replied quietly, feeling tired.

"Well, Caitlin, what were you doing in the woods without your pack? Or, are you a lone wolf?" Barry asked with interest, but Caitlin shook her head.

"I have a pack; I just thought I'd take advantage of the warm weather. I didn't expect to be attacked by a group of hunters, right at the entrance of the woods," she murmured, and Barry nodded his head. Just then, a woman with blonde hair walked in.

"Good to see you awake," she smiled at Caitlin before addressing Barry.

"Got her some clothes," she said, and Barry smiled.

"Thanks, Felicity. Caitlin, this is Felicity, Felicity, this is Caitlin," Barry introduced, and the women smiled at each other.

"Hello, Felicity," Caitlin murmured.

"Think you're strong enough to get dressed, Caitlin?" Felicity asked, and she nodded immediately, relieved to have some clothes. Barry left the room then, to give them so privacy, and only returned when Caitlin was dressed and sitting up.

"That's better," Caitlin sighed happily. Barry smiled at her, before looking at Felicity.

"I'll give you two some space," she said, smiling at Caitlin once more, before leaving the room altogether. Caitlin looked at Barry.

"Thanks for stopping the hunters from killing me," she said gratefully, and Barry nodded his head.

"We don't let them attack on any grounds, especially so close to ours," he replied with conviction, and that eased some of the worries in Caitlin's chest. After reaching out to her own pack to let them know she was safe, (and, convincing Hartley, and Cisco, that they didn't need to come and be with her), she looked at Barry curiously.

"Now what?" Caitlin asked softly.

Barry grinned. "Now, we get to know each other, Caitlin."

XXX

Barry Allen was a light in her life. When she had initially accepted the fact that was never going to meet her mate, he had come into her life, and showed her that she was wrong. They spent many days running together, or simply talking, in their human forms. He was a good leader, and she could tell his pack respected him. She could also tell that the other couples in the pack adored each other, such as Felicity and Oliver. Caitlin had never felt like she was a part of a family unit outside of her own pack, but that was exactly how she felt with Barry's pack. He was her alpha, and she was his omega, and it was perfect.

Then came the day that Barry asked her to join him and his pack. She knew that it was the next logical step, that it was inevitable; still, saying goodbye to her pack was going to be the hardest thing she ever had to do.

XXX

Hartley, and the rest of her pack showed up one day, ready to see what had Caitlin saying goodbye. After the two leaders came face to face with each other, Caitlin knew it was going to be hard on her leader.

"So, you're the man who saved our favorite girl," Hartley stated, and Barry nodded, wrapping his arm around Caitlin's waist.

"I am," he replied, and Hartley sighed.

"I need to thank you for that," he muttered, and Caitlin knew how much strength it was taking him to not fight him. Barry waved off his thanks, as if to say it was nothing. Hartley looked at Caitlin.

"You sure about this, Cait?" Hartley asked softly. She smiled.

"Yes," she murmured, looking at Barry.

"And, you'll protect her?" Hartley asked Barry. He nodded.

"To the ends of the earth," he vowed seriously. Hartley sighed, before kissing Caitlin gently on the forehead.

"I guess this is goodbye," he murmured, and Caitlin nodded her head, looking at her pack.

"Goodbye," she said softly. Nothing more was said between the pack, and they took off, running away from them. Caitlin watched with an ache in her heart. Barry squeezed her hip gently.

"It's alright, sweetheart," he murmured. "It's you and me, now."

Caitlin smiled. "You and me."

That was a nice of enough thought to get her through the departing from her pack. And, that was good enough for Caitlin. She had found her alpha, finally transforming into the true omega she knew she could be, And, it was with that thought that allowed Caitlin to follow Barry into their future proudly.

Author's note: Firo, for you.


	34. Chapter 34

AUTHOR'S NOTE: BASED OFF WINTER FINALE OF SEASON FOUR. DON'T READ IF YOU HAVEN'T WATCHED YET.

Caitlin tried to not let a pang of jealousy flare through her, she truly did. It was just hard when everybody prefers spending time with her doppelganger over her. She knew that it was easier this way compared to the fiasco that last year was. Everyone was on opposing sides, thanks to Killer Frost. So, really, Caitlin should be thrilled that her friends and her alter ego got along. Except, she wasn't. Not even a tiny bit.

After Cisco helped get her away from Amunet, and she was back at Star Labs safely, she bade everyone farewell, deciding to skip out on the annual Christmas party held at the Allen's. True, while Iris and Barry were trying to not be awkward around each other since they called off their marriage, and that would've been fun to watch, Caitlin just wasn't in the mood for festivities. Sighing, she ducked out of the labs, and headed to her car, ready to spend a night by herself, with comfort food, and Netflix.

XXX

Not even an hour into the documentary she started, there was a soft knock on her door, and Caitlin paused the tv, looking up. She went to go answer it, and found herself face to face with Barry.

"Barry?" Caitlin asked curiously. "What are you doing here?"

"To tell you the truth, pretending to not be uncomfortable around the woman who was supposed to be my wife really isn't my thing. Was hoping I could come see you? Maybe hide out for a bit?" Barry asked, and Caitlin smiled, pleased that he at least didn't seem to think she was bad company. Nodding her head, she opened her door further, allowing him access to her apartment.

"I have some Chinese, if you're hungry," Caitlin said.

"Famished. That'd be great," Barry replied gratefully, and she went to the kitchen to pick up an extra carton of food she had ordered, and hers'. Once she made her way back, she spotted Barry sitting on her couch, looking at her tv.

"I hope I wasn't interrupting a night for yourself," he said guiltily, but she sent him a soft smile.

"Nope," she assured him. "You just interrupted a pity party."

Barry crooked an eyebrow at her quizzically, and she sighed as she sat down next to him on the couch, passing him his carton and chop sticks. They took a moment to swap around some of their favorite choices that the other carried in their carton, before eating.

"I may have been throwing a pity party for myself when Harry and Cisco admitted to hanging out with Killer Frost," she muttered, chewing her orange chicken slowly. Barry sighed.

"That's tough, I'm sorry," he murmured, and she shrugged a shoulder.

"You'd think I'd be thrilled that my doppelganger and friends got along, instead of you guys locking me in the pipeline again, but, not so much," she said quietly, and Barry frowned.

"Firstly, I don't think I've ever apologized for putting you in there, Cait," Barry said softly, placing a hand on her knee. She smiled.

"We all knew how destructive Killer Frost was at that time, it was for the best," she murmured.

"Still, it pained me putting one of my best friends in there. I knew deep down, that you must have been terrified," he said.

She smiled. "Thanks, Barry."

"And secondly," Barry continued. "I understand why them hanging out with her makes you upset."

"You do?" Caitlin asked hopefully, and he nodded his head.

"Yes, it makes you feel like you're being replaced, or no longer appreciated," he murmured, and she sighed. At least someone seemed to understand.

"Yes, exactly," she whispered, staring into her carton of food unseeingly.

"But," Barry said, and she looked up. "You have to know that's not true. You're more than appreciated. Look at what happened today when Amunet took you. You outsmarted the meta human. You, Caitlin Snow. Not Killer Frost. You got yourself out of that situation, helping someone else make it to safety as well. I don't think I've ever been prouder of you."

Caitlin didn't know what to say for a moment. She stared at Barry, before smiling and settling on a quiet, 'thank you', hoping he understood the appreciation she was wishing to convey. He seemed to, because he gave her knee a gentle, reassuring squeeze and smiled back at her.

They ate quietly, seemingly enjoying the company, before Caitlin looked back at him curiously.

"You can tell me to mind my own business if I'm crossing over any lines, but what happened between you and Iris? You two were so happy," Caitlin asked gently, and Barry sighed, running a hand through his hair. He hesitated so long, that Caitlin assumed he wasn't going to answer.

"Don't worry about it, it's none of my business," she murmured, but he shook his head.

"No, I just need to find the right way to tell you," he said quietly, and Caitlin gave him time to think, fishing out the last piece of orange chicken.

"She couldn't stand the competition anymore," he said at last, looking at Caitlin. Caitlin blinked.

"Since when has there been competition?" Caitlin asked incredulously.

"Since I woke up from my nine-month coma," Barry murmured.

"But the only people who were around you besides Joe and iris, were Cisco and myself," Caitlin stated.

"Exactly," Barry murmured.

"Cisco?" Caitlin teased. Barry rolled his eyes fondly.

"Not quite," he said.

"Yeah, I know," Caitlin whispered, heart beating rather fast. They stared at each other.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Caitlin asked, biting her lower lip. Barry rubbed his thumb along it, and she released it from its prison.

"Because, I wasn't sure myself. And, I wasn't sure how to tell you," he replied quietly.

"I'd expect the feelings to be for Killer Frost, in all honesty," Caitlin murmured, and Barry chuckled.

"Why? She's not you. There is no one like you, Cait. No one who radiates as much warmth as you do, no one who stands tall in the face of stress. You're simply amazing," he breathed out, and Caitlin felt that sentence wrap warmly around her heart, nestling inside of her darkest parts. She smiled.

"That goes both ways," she murmured.

"But Ronnie…," Barry trailed off, and she sighed.

"Ronnie will always hold a special place in my heart, of course, but that doesn't mean I can't give my heart to other people," she murmured, and it was his turn to smile.

"Are you sure you can handle myself and Killer Frost?" Caitlin asked worriedly, and he kissed her on the forehead, holding his lips there gently.

"I've loved you long before Killer Frost came into the picture, and I'll love you long after you two find a way to work in sync with one another, I promise," he said softly, and that warmed Caitlin from head to toe.

"Like I said, you're a hero Cait. You never needed powers to prove that to me," he added gently, and that was enough to assure her worries. She felt far braver than she did a moment prior, so leaned forward and kissed him tenderly. When they pulled a part a few moments later, they leaned back onto the couch, Barry wrapping his arm around her in the process.

"Where do we go from here?" Caitlin asked softly.

"Forward, Caitlin Snow, forward."

Author's note: Jesse, hope you like friend. Thanks for all the well wishes about my family and grandmother. I'll let you know more as I know more. Other stories will be updated this weekend. Prompts accepted in the comments. Also, this is an AU off the winter finale. XOXO


	35. Chapter 35

"C'mon, Cait, let me take you home," Barry urged softly, but she shook her head, staring passed him. She couldn't believe what had happened; what she had caused to happen because of her powers.

"The explosion wasn't your fault, sweetheart," Barry reminded her, but she shrugged a shoulder, not saying anything.

"No one is mad at you," he persisted, and she sighed.

"Please, I just want to be left alone," she muttered, fiddling with her hands. He stared at her a long moment, before sighing and nodding his head.

"It goes against my better judgment, but alright," he murmured, kissing her gently on the forehead.

"Promise to call me when you're ready to go home? I'll take you," he added, and she nodded once, jaw set.

"Please, don't blame yourself," Barry reiterated, before leaving the labs. Caitlin stood in the same place she had been standing in since they all go back from the explosion. True, no one was hurt, (well, not critically, at least), and no one blamed her. But, still. Her powers had set off an icy blast, causing several rooms to freeze. Cisco gained a concussion because of it, as did Joe and Harry. Barry was able to fight through his minimal injuries, helping get the blast contained. Iris, had a small touch of frost bite, but Caitlin quickly concluded that it wasn't life threatening; she didn't even have to go to the hospital. And, as Barry had said countless times, no one was mad at her. It did nothing to assuage her guilt.

Caitlin tapped her fingers into her thigh, thinking. She knew what she was about to do would be risky, especially without someone else's help, but she had to try. Her powers were a danger to everyone. Hurrying to her medical cabinet, she messed around with a few things until she had a serum created. Like the one Julian had her mother create for him. She rolled her eyes internally at Julian. He had wanted her to be powerless, so they could be together; she wanted to be powerless, so she didn't hurt anyone. Different folks, different strokes, she supposed. Staring at the serum for a long moment, she debated her options. Use it, and risk hurting herself, or worse. Not use it, risk hurting her team, or worse. There was no hesitancy as she plunged the needle into her arm.

XXXXX

Barry's POV

Barry sighed as he rubbed a hand over his face, checking the time once more. He had left his girlfriend at Star Labs three hours ago. Plenty of time to throw herself a pity party and then be done with it. He stood up from his couch, and flashed out of his apartment, Caitlin's wishes to be alone damned. He knew he shouldn't have left her alone in the first place, not when she was feeling so guilty about the explosion. He meant it when he had said no one was mad at her. Cisco had even called him an hour ago, asking what he thought about building an ice skating rink in their labs thanks to all the frozen surfaces. He clearly didn't mind that he got bonked on the head.

As his feet propelled him to the labs, he thought over what he would say to his girlfriend.

"Uh, hi, Cait. I know you're upset sweetheart, but it's time to move on from this. Maybe you can teach Cisco how to ice skate in the morning?"

Barry chuckled to himself as he skidded to a stop outside of the labs. Caitlin would absolutely love to do that. He rolled his eyes as he ran into the labs at a normal pace.

"Caitlin? Sweetheart, I know you're upset, and that's okay. Just, don't be upset on your own anymore, alright?" Barry called. He didn't hear a reply, and sighed. Caitlin was really taking this hard. He rounded the hall and went into the cortex, eyes searching for her. Then he heard a noise. It sounded like a low groan. Pausing, he searched the room more slowly, wondering what on earth caused that noise. When he's eyes fell onto the corner by the bed in the bay, his heart stopped.

Caitlin. Laying on the ground. Shaking. Barely conscious.

"Oh, god," Barry croaked as he ran to her, falling to his knees. She was shaking uncontrollably, and her lips were tinged blue. That was when he noticed the needle in her hand.

"Oh, baby, what'd you do?" Barry muttered, before picking her up. She was icy to the touch.

"I-I c-can't hurt a-any one e-lse," she muttered, head flopping against his arm.

"You don't get to do that," Barry said through gritted teeth. "You don't get to try and eliminate yourself from my life, do you hear me?"

She didn't say anything, not that he expected her to. He just rushed her to the shower they had in one of the spare labs. He yanked open the curtain, and all but shoved her in the stall.

"This is going to be hot," he warned, before turning the water all the way to the left.

She screamed.

"Shh," he murmured soothingly, letting the water run until her lips were their normal pink, and she wasn't shaking as much. When he dared to turn the water off, she fell forward, him catching her in the process.

"Barry," she said softly, tiredly.

"Shh," he murmured again, propping her against the wall. When he was sure she wasn't going to fall, he got a towel and wrapped it around her, rubbing his hands up and down her arms to create some warmth for her.

By the time he was finished drying her off, she was looking a bit more aware of what was going on, though, still tired.

"You're staying at my apartment tonight, I dare you to argue with me about that," he said bluntly. She didn't. Good. He picked her up, and soon they were running.

XXXXXX

Barry got Caitlin one of his Star Labs sweatshirts, and pulled it gently over her head and onto her thin frame; tremors still wracked through her body.

"T-Thanks," she stuttered, and he heard the chattering of her teeth, and noticed the way her eyes drooped.

"Hey, don't fall asleep yet," he murmured. "I'm going to get you some tea and I want you to drink it all."

He flashed off to make the tea, returning a few beats later. He handed it to her, and watched as she wrapped her hands around the mug, trying to steal some of its warmth.

"Drink all of it, baby," he reminded her, and she nodded her head, taking a sip. While she drank her tea, he just stared at her, soaking in the fact that she was alive. And, that she had nearly died.

"I wasn't trying to kill myself," her soft voice rasped, and he blinked at her.

"Could've fooled me," he said lowly, and she sighed.

"I wasn't. I was just trying to get rid of my powers," she insisted.

"With no one to help you?" Barry raised an eyebrow.

"You guys would've tried to stop me," she whispered, head ducking down. That wasn't going to work for Barry. He gently placed his fingers underneath her chin, and tilted her head back until she was staring into his eyes.

"You should've been stopped, baby," he said softly. "That was a stupid, dangerous thing to do."

"I know," Caitlin said in a small voice, playing with her cup.

"I'm not mad at you," Barry said quietly, and the relief that flooded through her orbs was breathtakingly beautiful.

"You're not?" Caitlin asked hopefully, and he shook his head.

"No," he promised. "But, next time you feel like doing something reckless, talk to me."

"I will," she murmured. He studied her face, looking for any signs of dishonesty. When he couldn't find any, he nodded, satisfied with her answer.

"How's Cisco?" Caitlin asked timidly, and he squeezed her hand.

"Wants to know if we can build an ice skating rink," he replied, and she blinked.

"What?" Caitlin asked, and Barry chuckled.

"Told you, no one was mad at you. Just you mad at yourself, sweetheart," he murmured, and she smiled hesitantly. He maneuvered them to where he was stretched out on his couch, and she was curled up onto his chest. He started singing softly, knowing that she relaxed quicker when he sang. Tricks of the trade one learns from being in love with someone for as long as he was in love with her.

She sighed.

"Thanks," she murmured sleepily, and Barry kissed her hairline.

"You're welcome, baby," he replied. She drifted to sleep not too long after that, and, after tightening his hold on his girlfriend, he followed suit, tired from the day. But, happy with the way his night was.

Author's note: Prompt for anon. Got about two or three more to get to. If you have any, leave them in the comments. XOXO


	36. Chapter 36

Caitlin thought Ronnie was her soulmate, she truly did. She thought they were going to be together until the end of time. How naïve she had been, thinking that your first love was your forever love.

"God, I can't take this anymore, Ronnie!" Caitlin screamed. She had no clue what they were fighting about; hadn't been sure in a long time. He folded his arms, and levelled her with a stare.

"The door is right there, Caitlin," he stated, nodding his head towards it. "Shut it on your way out."

She stared at him for a long moment, wishing she could feel something, anything. Anything but the constant disappointment coursing through her veins. She came up empty. Nodding her head once, she turned on her heel, striding away from him. She slammed the door shut on her way out, the ringing echoing in her ears for a long time to come.

XXXX

A few weeks passed, and Caitlin found herself not getting out of bed. One would think that leaving a toxic relationship would make them happy, but not so much. Caitlin wasn't sleeping, wasn't eating; she was surviving off coffee alone. She knew her friends were worried. Hartley, and Cisco both stayed with her, opting to sleep on her couch and floor. Each day, they tried to encourage her to eat something, but she simply didn't have an appetite.

"Cait, if you don't start eating, I'm going to have you hospitalized," Hartley warned her one day, when she had dropped fifteen pounds. Sighing, she pulled the plate of eggs that Cisco had made towards her, and played with them. She knew she needed to eat, that she wasn't doing herself any favors; she was just simply too tired.

"I'm so tired," she murmured, and he nodded his head.

"I know you are, honey. But giving up because of a breakup is not the way to go," he reminded her, and she sighed again. He was right; it wasn't the way to go.

"Think about what your dad would say," Cisco added quietly, and Caitlin felt a lump rise in her throat. It had been a few months since her father's passing, and the wound was still so raw; so fresh.

"Please, don't," she implored, but Cisco shook his head stubbornly.

"If talking about your dad wakes you up, and knocks some sense into you, then so be it," he countered, and she thought about it. Her dad wouldn't be proud of her if he could see her. Knowing that was what caused her to scoop up the first forkful of eggs, popping the food into her mouth. She couldn't remember the last time she had something other than liquid in her stomach, and the food caused her stomach to turn. But, she ate regardless. The food tasted like cardboard, and Caitlin shuddered as she chewed, but, she managed to eat the whole plate. Hartley smiled in victory.

"Thank you," he murmured, and she returned his smile, muscles feeling stiff.

XXXX

Caitlin started going out with Hartley, and Cisco again. The two soulmates had convinced her she had spent enough time being cooped up in her apartment. They were right. One night, they all had agreed to go to a new club, not the one she had met Ronnie at. They, bless them, realized it would too difficult for Caitlin to be in the place the served as a walk down memory lane for her.

"C'mon, sweetheart," Cisco encouraged Caitlin, who had stalled outside of the club. He used his hand that wasn't laced with Hartley's to squeeze her hand gently.

"I'm not sure if I'm ready," she uttered, staring at the club apprehensively.

"You'll never know until you try," Cisco murmured, and she looked at him.

"I'm not saying you have to talk to the first guy who offers to buy you a drink," he added comfortingly. "But, it won't hurt to try and start talking to some."

Caitlin thought over his words, while her friends waited patiently. She eventually nodded her head.

"Alright," she muttered, wanting to get this night over and done with. They headed into the club, with Caitlin wishing she was at home, curled up with her favorite book and a mug of hot tea.

XXXXX

The club was crowded, that much was clear. She pressed herself tightly into the wall as they walked, searching for a table. They found one not even a moment later, and sat down. Caitlin stared around at her surroundings, before looking at the menu. She wasn't sure she even wanted an alcoholic beverage, so opted for a Diet Coke instead. She drummed her fingers on the table as she waited for it to be delivered. Hartley glanced around at her.

"Mind if Cisco and I go dance?" Hartley asked, and she shook her head.

"Have fun," she encouraged, and he kissed her softly on the forehead, before making his way out onto the dance floor with his partner. Her Diet Coke was delivered a moment later, and she took a long sip, looking around at the other couples on the dance floor.

"What's a pretty lady, such as yourself, doing sitting by herself?" Came a voice, and Caitlin cringed, before rolling her eyes.

"Enjoying a soda," she replied flatly, not looking up at the guy who sat down at her table.

"Tony," he introduced himself.

"You'll notice I didn't ask," Caitlin replied dryly, taking another sip of her soda.

Tony leaned into her, and she didn't have to work hard to smell the strong scent of whisky on him.

"Can I buy you something else…I didn't catch your name, sweetheart," Tony said.

"I didn't throw it," Caitlin replied. "And no, soda is just fine."

He chuckled.

"C'mon, tell me your name," he encouraged, placing his hand on her thigh. She shoved it off and glared at him.

"No. You're drunk, and I'm definitely not interested in telling you my name. Go chat up another girl," she instructed, and his eyes narrowed.

"You'd be best to know your place, sweetheart," he said softly, but she just shrugged.

"Sorry, sweetheart, but you'll notice I don't really care about what you have to say," she commented. He opened his mouth just then, but they both looked up when another voice spoke up.

"Are you stupid, buddy?" A tall, lanky guy asked. Caitlin noticed how strikingly green his eyes were right off the bat.

"She's not interested. I suggest you go sleep it off," the guy continued, and Caitlin smiled appreciatively at him. Tony stood up, rolling his eyes.

"Whatever," he muttered, before knocking back his shot and slouching off.

"Mind if I sit?" The guy asked, and Caitlin shrugged a shoulder.

"Free country," she commented, and he laughed, sitting down.

"Barry Allen." He held out his hand. She blinked. Was this guy offering her a hand shake? Smiling slightly, she held out her own hand.

"Caitlin Snow," she murmured, feeling like it was easier to tell Barry her name than it was to tell Tony. He smiled.

"Well, Caitlin Snow, what are you drinking, and can I get you another?" Barry asked, and she thought about it.

"Diet Coke," she replied, nodding her head. He flagged down a waiter, ordering her another soda.

"Do you always get harassed wherever you go?" Barry asked while they waited for her drink.

"To tell you the truth, this is my first time out in a long time," she replied, and he nodded his head.

"Mine, too," he murmured. She studied him. He was tall, good looking, and had a genuine smile; the exact opposite of Ronnie's smile. Thinking of Ronnie put her in a spiraling spell of depression, so she quickly banished any thoughts of him. The waiter arrived with her drink just then, and she accepted it with a word of thanks.

"Where's your soulmate?" Barry asked, and Caitlin sighed. In a world full of soulmates, it was only expected to be asked about hers'.

"I don't have one," she muttered, cringing. Instead of looking at her in surprise, he nodded his head, humming thoughtfully.

"Me neither," he admitted truthfully. She nodded, but didn't comment on that. They didn't say much as she drank her soda, opting to just enjoy the company they found themselves in. When Hartley, and Cisco returned to the table, ready to leave for the night, Barry stood up.

"Nice meeting you, Caitlin Snow," he said.

"You, too, Barry," she murmured, before turning on her heel and walking away. But that wasn't the last she'd see of him.

XXXX

Barry Allen soon became a light in her life, creeping into her darkest places, and filling them. They bumped into each other at the club several times, and always sat together and talked. He eventually convinced her to dance with him one night, and she ended up giving him her number. Everything changed after that.

They spent many nights talking on the phone, well into the early hours of the morning. She learned that he was like her. He thought his first love, Iris West, was supposed to be his soulmate. Unlike her and Ronnie, they hadn't burned out on each other; they just simply realized they weren't the same people they were in they first fell in love. She achingly wished her, and Ronnie had ended like that, instead of like a relationship that had gone up in flames.

He coaxed her gently into talking about Ronnie. She shared parts of that relationship with him that she had never shared with anyone else, not even her friends.

"We just held on until we couldn't anymore," she said one night, as they sat on her couch, eating. "I held on for as long as I could, determined to make it work; I just ended up exhausting myself."

He nodded thoughtfully. "Sometimes, when a soulmate seems too good to be true, that's usually because they are."

She sighed, knowing a little something about that.

"I don't even know if I'll ever find my true soulmate," she murmured.

"Sometimes, we find them when we're least expecting it; when we're not even looking for them," he said comfortingly. He left not long after that, causing Caitlin to stay up much later than she intended, thinking about his words.

XXXX

The first time he asked her on a date, she said yes with no hesitancy. And the time he proposed to her, she could honestly say everything was aligning for her as it should be. As she walked down the aisle towards him, ready to commit to him completely, she knew that he had been right all those nights ago; sometimes, you found your soulmate when you weren't even looking.

Author's note: Got two requests about a soulmate AU. I've already written something like this, it's a one shot. If you're looking for a more detailed soulmate AU, check it out. (It's 4,000+ words). Enjoy! XOXO


	37. Chapter 37

Caitlin was half way through her first semester of college. To the outside world, she probably came off as shy and timid. Something that was whole heartedly true, thank you very much. Her idea of a fun Friday night was in the library, completing assignments early, or sipping a double shot espresso. She probably deserved a plaque in her name for how many times she frequented the coffee shop on campus. She deserved a week's worth of free coffee at the least. When Caitlin wasn't in the library with her friends, she and Felicity were often in her dorm, working on one project or another. Well, Caitlin was working on one project or another; Felicity, on the other hand, was busy gushing about their school's lead quarter back, Oliver Queen. In fact, that's how she found herself one Saturday afternoon, listening to Felicity talk endlessly about him.

"I mean, did you see him make that touchdown last night?" Felicity asked, and Caitlin sighed, before shaking her head.

"No, I was in the library, remember? You were the one at the game," Caitlin reminded her, flipping a page in her text book. She found the passage she was searching, and poised her pen above her notepad, reading the passage thoroughly, before taking down a summary.

"Yeah, and it was one hell of a game, Cait," Felicity enthused. Caitlin couldn't help but roll her eyes at her friend; trust Licity to be the one to get swept up into the sporty side of their school.

"Oliver invited us to the party tonight," Felicity dropped in casually, and Caitlin paused, shifting her eyes from her notepad to her friend.

"A party? Us?" Caitlin asked incredulously, and Felicity tsked.

"You said you wanted to try more things, Cait," she reminded her.

"Yeah, I meant two double shot espressos in one day; not a party with the entire football team," Caitlin said, voice oddly high pitched.

"Okay, one, you're talking to the point only dogs will be able to hear you, and two, no one should drink two double shots of espresso in one day," Felicity argued, and Caitlin sighed.

"Regardless of that, I'm not going to a party with jocks and frats," she stated, nose scrunching up in displeasure.

"Uh, yes, you are," Felicity said, folding her arms.

"Uh, no, I'm not," Caitlin argued back.

"Luckily for me, I already told Oliver we'd make an appearance, and you and I both know how much you hate letting people down," Felicity sang.

"Felicity!" Caitlin yelled.

"Oops," was the only reply, and it wasn't worth much.

XXXX

Caitlin couldn't believe she was leaning against the wall at some frat house party. What her mother would think was beyond her. She had lost Felicity within moments of getting to the house, and now found herself hiding out in the corner, sipping soda.

She kept stealing glances at her watch, counting down the seconds until she was back in her dorm, in bed. She knew that she could afford to take one night off from studying completely, so decided she'd spend the night binging The Walking Dead. She just had to wait it out until that point.

"Don't you look as out of place as teacher at a rock concert," came a voice, and Caitlin blinked, startled. She glanced around, and spotted a tall, brunette guy with striking green eyes smirking at her.

"Uh," she trailed off, unsure as what to say to such commentary.

"Word to the wise, don't stand in the corner at a frat party by yourself, sipping soda. You're practically screaming 'I don't belong here'," he continued, smirk still firmly intact.

"Noted," she muttered, slurping her drink just to irk him. He seemed fascinated by her attitude.

"I'm Barry," he said smoothly, and she shrugged.

"Again, noted," she replied, bored of the conversation already.

"Usually, it's polite to give one's name back," Barry said.

"Lesson in etiquette one oh one at a frat party? Fascinating, where do I sign up?" Caitlin asked, and he laughed.

"How about I get you a real drink, nameless girl?" Barry asked, but she shook her head.

"No, thank you," she replied stiffly. "I'm about to leave, anyways."

Just then, Felicity bounced her way up to them.

"There you are, Caitlin," she said, and Caitlin winced.

"Caitlin?" Barry repeated, smiling.

"The one and only," Caitlin muttered, before looking at her friend.

"You ready to go, Licity?" Caitlin asked hopefully, and the blonde girl nodded.

"Yeah, let's go," she replied. Caitlin pushed herself up from the wall, and walked passed Barry, who still wore that same smirk.

"I'll be seeing you around, Caitlin," he called, but she simply ignored him, and made her way out of the house and towards a street that didn't smell like stale alcohol.

XXX

A few weeks later found Caitlin back in the library late at night, studying for an upcoming biology test. She felt fairly confident about the material, but doing one more check wouldn't hurt. She was just starting to think longingly of a cup of coffee when one was pushed under her nose.

"You know coffee is not allowed in the library, Cisco," she murmured for the hundredth time.

"I don't know who this Cisco is, but I won't tell if you won't," came the reply, and Caitlin blinked She knew that voice. Looking up, she spotted Barry with his signature smirk. She sighed.

"Cisco is not you, and you're not him," she replied, scooting away from him a bit; Barry just took it in his stride and sat down at the table without an invitation.

"I'm trying to study," Caitlin hissed, affronted. Barry chuckled.

"One break surely wouldn't kill you, Cait," he said, and she narrowed her eyes.

"One, it's Caitlin. Two, we're not friends. Three, there's a rule against coffee in the library," she replied pointedly.

"One, I always give my friends nicknames. Two, I want us to be friends. Three, live a little," Barry smiled, and she rolled her eyes.

"Was there something I could help you with, then?" Caitlin asked, breathing deeply through her nose. It looked like the idiot wasn't going to go away on his own, and if she sped the process a long by acting like she was interested in whatever he wanted, then who was the wiser?

"I told you, I want us to be friends," he remarked, kicking his feet up on the table, and leaning his head into his hands. She hastily moved away the coffee before it spilled all over her books.

"I'm not in the market for new friends," she murmured, looking back at her book once more.

"You wound me, Cait," Barry chided, and she grit her teeth. Perhaps he sensed she was close to her breaking point, because he had the decency to stand up.

"First one's free," he said, before walking away.

It would be a few weeks before the second one wasn't.

XXXX

One wintry evening found Caitlin in line at the coffee shop with a terrible cold. She kept sneezing into her elbow, and her eyes were watery and itchy. Cisco had implored that she take a break from studying that evening, but she was anything if not stubborn. She was refilling on coffee to take back to her empty dorm, since Felicity had now started taking to going to Oliver's dorm.

"You're going to rub your nose off if you keep swiping at it with those tissues," Barry said, and Caitlin jumped; she hadn't even noticed him behind her in line.

"I'll live," she muttered.

"I don't know. Voldemort didn't have a nose and look what happened to him," Barry said. A surprised chuckle escaped Caitlin before she could catch it.

"You've read Harry Potter?" Caitlin asked through a thick head of snot.

"Watched the movies once or twice," came the reply.

"S'not the same thing," Caitlin mumbled, rubbing her nose with her crumpled-up tissue. It was finally her turn to order. When she had paid and got her coffee, she looked at Barry.

"Well, bye," she murmured, but he stilled her with a hand to her shoulder.

"I told you, the first one was free," he murmured, and she rolled her eyes.

"Let me just pay you back for the damn cup, then," she sighed, but he chuckled and shook his head.

"I'd much rather us just spend the evening together," he replied.

"Are you always so stubborn?" Caitlin demanded, taking a sip of her coffee.

"It's part of my charm." Barry had the audacity to wink.

"Or, part of your inflated ego. One of the two," Caitlin smiled.

"Again, you wound me, Cait," Barry said, clutching his heart. Caitlin smiled slightly.

"I've got to get back to studying," she murmured, rubbing at her nose yet again with her tissue.

"C'mon Cait, one night won't kill you. Live a little," he whispered, and Caitlin hesitated.

"What the hell," she muttered, before going to sit down at one of the tables. He sat down a few minutes later with his own coffee, and they spent the rest of the night, and well passed sunrise, just talking. Caitlin didn't think about her studies once.

XXX

Barry Allen became a constant in her life. When she pushed herself too hard with her studies, to the point that she got sick, he'd point blank prohibit her from studying anymore, and he'd show up to her dorm with take out, stating she got to choose what they watched on Netflix, if it wasn't another documentary.

When game night came by every Friday night, he coaxed her into going with him and Felicity, something she never thought she'd enjoy, but ended up liking. He encouraged her to go and get a normal sleep schedule, instead of living off coffee, stating it wasn't healthy for her heart or kidneys. She felt oddly touched that he looked out for her. She had never thought it, but he had slowly wormed his way into her life, and now, she couldn't imagine not being friends with him.

XXXXX

One night, after a particularly draining day of studying and irate professors, Caitlin was back in the coffee shop. Her bag was slung over her shoulder, and she had a pounding headache. She wasn't even sure if she was going to make it to the counter, she was so exhausted.

"Take a seat, I'll get your coffee," came his voice, and Caitlin didn't even jump; she was half expecting him to show up right about now. She nodded gratefully and went to a table, and sat down.

He came over a moment later with two steaming cups of coffee, and she took hers' with a word of thanks.

"What do you have to study tonight?" Barry asked softly, and she sighed.

"Can…can we just stay here instead?" Caitlin asked hopefully.

"Why, is Caitlin Snow actually the one asking to skip a night of studying? I must've corrupted you," he teased, and she smiled warmly.

"Something like that," she mouthed, hesitantly tracing her fingers against the back of his palm. He smiled, and flipped his hand over, before interlocking their fingers together. She smiled hesitantly at him, and he returned it.

"Knew you couldn't resist my charm for long," he said knowingly.

"Or, your ego. One of the two," she countered with a chuckle.

They shared a chuckle, and just spent the night talking, studies far from mind. And, Caitlin would be the first to admit that not everything about college had to revolve around her studies. And, she owed that all to Barry and his determination to be her friend. It was simply easy being his friend. She was good at it. And, that was enough to keep her moving forward for a long time to come.

Author's note: Prompt I got about one of them corrupting the other. This was my take on it. Hope you like it. Prompts accepted in the comments. XOXO


	38. Chapter 38

Caitlin had been feeling off all morning. It first started with a dull throbbing near her appendix, but, per usual, she ignored it, determined to go to her job and lend her hand to her friends anyway that she could. And, if she was being honest with herself, she wanted to see Barry. True, they had been dating for half a year now, and the team knew, it was still nice to get the familiar butterflies in her stomach she always got every time she saw him. So, she put on a loose-fitting dress, slid into her high heels, and wrapped her sweater around herself. She was ready to tackle the day, pain be damned.

By the time Caitlin got to work, the pain had increased exponentially, and she was wincing at every turn she made with her body. She knew she'd have to paint a smile on her face and act like nothing was wrong, because, everyone would immediately tell that something was wrong if she walked in cringing. Sighing, she battled through the pain and made her way inside the cortex, feeling flushed.

Predictably, she was the first one there. She headed to the coffee pot and turned it on, making sure the coffee was extra dark. If she was to act like nothing was wrong, she'd need the extra boost of energy to keep her going. As it brewed, she eased her way to her desk, stifling a groan of pain that threatened to escape her lips. She pulled her tablet out of her purse, and turned it on, along with the other monitors. She felt clammy, and realized she probably had a fever. Fantastic. Sighing, she tightened her sweater around her gently, trying not to jostle her lower abdomen too much.

Soon enough, the other members of the team started trickling in.

"Morning, Cait," Cisco greeted her, and she tried to turn her grimace into a smile.

"Morning," she murmured, breathing through her nose slowly.

"Are you okay, Cait?" Cisco asked in concern. "You don't look good. Like, at all."

"I'm fine," she said as evenly as she could with the way her pain had increased even more. She heard the coffee pot beep.

"Coffee," she muttered, before easing her way towards it. If she hunched her body in on itself, there would be a less likely possibility that anyone would accidentally jostle her. She poured herself a cup, and sipped out of it slowly, still focused on her breathing.

Just then, she felt a soft hand on her shoulder, and she looked around.

"Morning," Barry smiled, and she returned it as best as she could.

"Morning," she murmured, and he frowned.

"Are you alright?" Barry asked quietly, tracing gentle circles into her hip with his thumb. She thought that she'd be shy in the ways they showed affection towards each other, especially with Iris around, but she wasn't. She leaned into his touch.

"I'm fine," she murmured, going in for a quick kiss. He placed his hands on her sides, and squeezed gently. Even though it wasn't near her appendix, it was enough force to cause pain to flare up. She pulled back quickly, gasping.

"What?" Barry asked hurriedly, frowning. His hands moved to where she had placed hers' at, and held onto them.

"What's wrong?" Barry asked. She quickly shook her head.

"Nothing," she forced out, trying to swallow the cry of pain threatening to bubble up to the surface. "You just tickled me, is all."

He frowned, not looking like he was buying her explanation.

"Cait-," he started, but she shook her head quickly.

"It's fine, I just got startled," she assured, kissing him once more. "Coffee's ready."

She walked off then, and went and stood at one of the monitors, scrolling through her tablet, and sipping her coffee. She still felt clammy, and hot, and knew it was probably a fever; she recognized the symptoms, at least. Sighing, she redirected her attention back to her tablet, determined to make it through the day unscathed.

XXX

It was after ten that things started to go south and fast. Caitlin, who had felt hot earlier, couldn't get warm enough now. She was shaking, continuously tightening her sweater around as discreetly as she could. She had just about given completely up on working through the pain, and was just now focused on surviving the rest of the day. She knew she should make a doctor's appointment, or, at the very least, go home, but she was stubborn to a fault sometimes. She refused to be sent away.

On her third trip to the coffee pot, she doubled up when her body spasmed in so much pain, leaving her breathless.

"Ow!" Caitlin cried, tears gathering in her eyes. Everyone stopped what they were doing, but, predictably, Barry had been the first one to reach her. Hands shooting out, he placed them on her back, rubbing it.

"Okay, just breath," he murmured, so low only she could hear. She felt black pinpricks start to pop up along her vision as the pain tripled. She exhaled shakily.

"Uh, I think I need to sit down," she mumbled, dazedly. She saw Barry's mouth moving but couldn't, for the life of her, figure out what he was saying. She saw Cisco running towards her, but as she was aiming to sit down in the chair he was pushing towards her, she lost grip on her consciousness altogether, tumbling into the dark abyss eagerly.

XXX

By the time Caitlin had returned to consciousness, some of the pain had receded. She looked around, realizing she was in a bed. That explained why she was warm and comfortable. She heard him before she saw him.

"Hey, you," Barry murmured, and she blinked, and he loomed into focus.

"Hey," she rasped out. She tried to move, but he placed his hands against her shoulder and held her in place.

"Don't move, sweetheart," he murmured, and she nodded tiredly.

"What happened?" Caitlin asked, trying to think back to earlier that day.

"You fainted, and I swear, I never ran faster in my life than I did when I ran you to the hospital," he murmured. "You had appendicitis."

"Had?" Caitlin asked in confusion.

"They had to perform emergency surgery; your appendix was swollen three times its normal size," he said.

"Oops," Caitlin muttered, looking down guiltily.

"I knew you were stubborn, Cait, but working through appendicitis? That's a new one, even for you," he chastised, and she ducked her head.

"I didn't think it was as bad as it apparently was," she murmured. He chuckled.

"Clearly."

Caitlin felt herself relax at the joking tone he adopted, and knew he wasn't mad at her.

"You can't do something like this again, sweetheart. You're a doctor; you know the risks of pushing yourself through pain," he murmured, and she nodded her head.

"I know," she said quietly.

"Luckily for you, I'm springing you, so you can heal at your own apartment," he added, and she smiled.

"Thanks," she replied gratefully.

It wasn't too long before she had been sprung, and he was wheeling her to Cisco and the van from Star Labs.

"You're an idiot, you know that?" Cisco asked, and Caitlin laughed.

"I know," she replied.

"I swear, Caitlin, blatant disregard for your health," Cisco muttered as he leaned down and kissed her forehead.

They left the hospital then, with Cisco dropping Barry and Caitlin off at her hospital, waving goodbye.

"Take care of her," Cisco encouraged, and Caitlin was too tired to tell him she could take care of herself, thank you very much. Barry nodded his head.

"I will," he promised. Cisco left then, and Barry lifted Caitlin into his arms.

"I won't go too fast," he promised, and she tucked her head into his neck, and they were off. When she opened her eyes, she was sitting on the couch, and Barry was putting her keys back into her purse.

He eased her back onto the couch, propping her up with a few pillows, before covering her with a blanket.

"You still have a fever, so the rest of this week, you're on bedrest," he instructed, and Caitlin scowled.

"How will I get any work done?" Caitlin grumbled, and Barry just laughed.

"Even the doctors must take breaks, sweetheart," he murmured, and she nodded, frowning unhappily.

"Bedrest sounds miserable," she muttered.

"Just think of all the Jell-O you get it eat," he encouraged.

"Strawberry?" Caitlin asked hopefully.

"Am I not your boyfriend? Do I not know what you like?" Barry asked, flashing away and coming back a moment later, arms filled with boxes of Jell-O.

"All strawberry," Caitlin sighed happily.

"Yes, of course," Barry grinned, handing her a cup. She opened it, then accepted the spoon he gave her, and began to eat. Barry sat down next to her, and eased her feet into his lap, and began massaging them.

Maybe having appendicitis wasn't the worst thing that could've happened to Caitlin Snow.

Author's note: Jesse, for you! Hope you like it. You guys gave me some prompts to work on, and I'll be getting to them throughout the rest of the week and the weekend, along with my other stories. If you have any prompts, leave them in the comments. XOXO


	39. Chapter 39

Caitlin couldn't move, and how she tried. There was a weight pressed against her heart, leaving her prisoner to it. Every time she breathed, it was like an icy knife being embedded into her chest. She didn't know which way was up, and which way was down. Depression was funny that way; it had the uncanny ability to leave you helpless as it swept its way through your life, like a tornado, demolishing everything in sight. Then, it left you on your own, scrambling to pick up the shattered remains of who you once were.

For the life of her, Caitlin couldn't figure out why she was depressed. She just woke up one morning, and her life had been turned upside down. Maybe it had to do with the fact that the team worked against her last year when Killer Frost surfaced, but she doubted that; they were all on friendly terms again. Caitlin even went out into the field with Barry. So, next option.

Perhaps it had to do with Ronnie leaving for good. She knew he'd never come back, and while she had seemingly accepted that, no amount of Walking Dead Marathons and Chinese with Cisco was going to fill the fissures that had appeared on her heart, making a home for themselves there. Still, she didn't think that was it.

Zoom. Uh, no. He was dead, and she had healed from that. Upward and onward.

So that brought Caitlin to her present-day self. She and Killer Frost worked in sync with one another, Barry needed her help on missions, and Cecil had forgiven her for kidnapping her. Well, technically, that was all Killer Frost's work, but she still felt guilty. However, the point was, Caitlin had no reason to be depressed. She just simply was. Getting out of bed every day was a chore in and of itself. She never knew her muscles would protest any form of movement as harshly as they did. Some days, she was surprised she had even managed to open her eyes in the first place.

Today was one of the days she was surprised her eyes muscles were working. The weight pressing against her heart had increased exponentially, and she was finding it difficult to even breathe normally. There was a wetness on her cheeks, and after some debating, she convinced herself to touch her hand to them. She wasn't surprised to find tears running down her cheeks like two rivers ran; she cried all the time. Sometimes, when she was least expecting it, the tears would creep up on her at work, and she'd have to excuse herself from the team, and hurry to bathroom, hand firmly placed over her mouth to stifle any noise threatening to crawl out.

As she cried, (no point in trying to stop her tears by this point), she thought about what she had to do that day. Run tests for Barry, get some blood drawn from Ralph, and meet up with Cisco for coffee later. The thought of getting out of bed at all started a pounding behind her eyes, and she winced. She didn't want to meet any of her obligations; didn't know if she had the damn energy to attempt to meet them. She just wanted to stay tucked away in her bed, safe from the outside world. But was that any better when she wasn't safe from her inner world? Her thoughts were in a constant turmoil, telling her different things. She tried not to pay them mind, but it was getting harder and harder with each passing day. She didn't know if she could keep staying afloat much longer.

Just then, there was a gentle knock at her door, and she turned her head towards it, wondering who it could be. She wasn't going to answer it regardless, but it'd be nice to know who would come by her apartment before she had her first cup of coffee. Just then, her phone buzzed.

Its me. I have coffee. Please let me in. – Barry

Caitlin stared at her phone mutely, feeling more tears run down her cheeks. Why was she crying now? She simply didn't know. Sighing, she placed her phone upside down on her night table, and turned away from it. It buzzed again almost immediately.

I can phase through your door, you know. It'd be easier for both of us if you just came and let me in. I'm not leaving until we talk. -Barry

Sighing, Caitlin got up slowly. She'd rather just open the door than have him phase in. She walked slowly to her front door, every step difficult to take, and causing her pain. By the time she reached her front door, Barry knocked again. She opened it.

"Yes?" Caitlin asked softly, feeling a deep tiredness settling in on her bones, causing them to ache uncomfortably.

"We need to talk," Barry said quietly. "I brought coffee."

He didn't give her a chance to protest, just simply walked in and headed to her couch, before taking a seat. He patted the space next to him, and Caitlin tightened her sweater around her, trying to make herself as small as the depression made her feel.

"C'mon, Cait, come sit down," Barry said softly, and she eased her way to the couch, and sat down. He handed her the coffee wordlessly, and she accepted it with a dip of her head. She took a long drink, trying to warm herself up.

"So," Caitlin croaked, voice hoarse from lack of use.

"You're sad," Barry said, and it wasn't a question. She shrugged a weary shoulder, but didn't say anything.

"Do you know why?" Barry prompted after a momentary pause.

"Jury's still out on that one," Caitlin whispered, fiddling with her coffee cup.

"Have you talked to anybody about it?" Barry asked gently, and Caitlin shook her head as she shed a couple more tears.

"N-no," she mumbled.

They didn't say anything for a few moments, and Caitlin felt her depression trying to claw its way out of her. She clung onto it as hard as she could, desperate for it not escape.

"You're tired," Barry said softly, pointing at what she presumed were the bags underneath her eyes.

"Everyday," she whispered, staring unseeingly into her coffee cup.

"I think it's time you talked to someone, Cait," he murmured gently. A strangled gasp escaped her, and she bit down on her lip hard to prevent the onslaught of emotion threatening to spill out of every part of her. Barry latched onto her hand.

"It's okay, let it out," he whispered, and that was the life preserver she had been looking for to help keep her afloat through the tumultuous emotions. She looked at him, silently asking for permission to break down, and he nodded his head.

"It's okay, Cait," he murmured, and she was crying. Deep, heaving sobs that rattled the walls of her apartment. Every sob wracked through her thin frame, leaving her gasping for air. Barry held her hand tightly as she cried, murmuring soothing words. She couldn't understand what he was saying, but his tone was gentle and that was enough to assure her she was safe. She cried for a long time, not knowing if, and when, she was going to stop. He just sat with her, holding her hand.

She thought over every avenue her life had sent her down. Ronnie. Jay. Zoom. Her mom. Her dad. Killer Frost. Everything. She didn't know how to repair herself at this point.

"It's too much," Caitlin gasped. "I can't breathe from the weight of it. It's crushing me."

Barry wrapped his arm around her tightly.

"Shh, it's alright. It's alright," he soothed over and over, and she clung to him, hoping to anchor herself.

"I can't breathe," she whispered over and over, and he rocked them back and forth. She and Barry had always danced a fine line. Not quite something, but close enough friends to consider it. She wasn't sure how he was going to want to consider being with her at all, now that he was her this way. Eventually, her breathing regulated, and she took deep breaths.

"Take it easy," he murmured into her ear, and she nodded. She practiced getting her breathing back under control, swiping at her face every so often. She knew she must've looked a mess, and went to turn. He stilled her with a gentle hand to her shoulder.

"Don't hide from me," he murmured. "I want to see all of you."

She knew he meant the good and the bad, and that was enough to ease her worries about them somewhat. She nodded her head, and looked at him timidly.

"You're really beautiful, you know that?" Barry asked, but she shook her head.

"Stop," she whispered.

"No," he said simply. He rubbed soothing circles into her back, and she felt herself relax significantly.

They fell silent for a bit then, with the occasional hiccup from Caitlin. After a while, Barry cleared his throat.

"Here's what we're going to do. We're going to find you someone to talk to, and I'm going to be with you every step of the way," he murmured.

Caitlin stared at him for a long moment.

"If I give up on the faith that I'll get better, than I have nothing more to hold onto," she whispered, and he nodded his head.

"I know. So, don't give up on that faith. Hold onto it as if your life depended on it. I'm not going anywhere, I promise," he replied.

"Why do you care?" Caitlin asked the one question she was desperately seeking an answer to. He smiled.

"Because, I care about you, Caitlin Snow."

And, while, that was in no way a cure for her depression, it was the first step for her to accepting help. And that was good enough.

Author's note: Request I got about her battling depression. I wrote this based off my experiences with it. Hope you like it. XOXO


	40. Chapter 40

Caitlin wasn't aware that she was being studied. She was too busy sipping her coffee, and flipping through her notes, trying to get down all the answers for her study guide. Tucking her hair behind her ear, she went for another sip of coffee only to realize the cup was empty. Grumbling, she looked up, to see just how long the line was. Before she even could calculate how long it would take to stand in line, someone was making their way towards her. He cleared his throat a moment later.

"Out of coffee?" The guy asked, holding up a cup. She accepted it wordlessly when he passed it to her, and peered inside the cup. Black -like she always drank it.

"Who are you and how'd you know my coffee order?" Caitlin asked curiously.

"Barry Allen, and you come into this shop every day at four, like clockwork, and order the same thing. I've noticed things," Barry said quietly. He looked at the vacant chair across from her, before looking back at her, seeking permission. She bit her lip, thinking how she should really get the rest of her study guide done, but how a break also sounded appealing. She deliberated for a few more seconds, before nodding her head, indicating the chair was free. Barry sat down.

"Do I get to know your name?" Barry asked softly, and Caitlin felt a blush kiss her cheeks.

"Where are my manners?" Caitlin murmured. "Caitlin Snow."

"Caitlin," Barry repeated, smiling. Caitlin wondered why her heart fluttered when he said her name, but decided she'd come back to that topic later. Like, when she wasn't around anybody. Caitlin took a sip of her coffee, and smiled at Barry hesitantly.

"You saved me from having to wait in line, you know," she said softly, and he returned her smile.

"Didn't want you to have to interrupt whatever you're studying," he replied, tilting his head to her notebook.

"Biochemistry, senior year," she commented.

"At Central City University?" Barry asked, and she nodded.

"Does Professor Wells still teach it?" Barry wondered, and Caitlin smiled.

"You had him, too?" Caitlin aske curiously.

"Two years ago. He was my last science credit I needed to graduate. He was a genius," Barry said.

"Still is," Caitlin remarked. They fell silent then, and, if he wouldn't mind, Caitlin redirected her attention back to her notes, fine with him sitting with her. If he was quiet. Barry didn't seem to mind because he pulled out a sketch pad, and began drawing. She looked at the pad. It was a black, leather bound book and, from what she could tell, most of the pages had been filled. He'd probably be buying a new one sometime soon. She cleared her throat.

"You're an artist?" Caitlin asked, and he smiled.

"Just a hobby on the side. I'm actually a CSI forensic scientist, but when I need to escape from the job, art takes over," he replied.

"I'm like that with writing," she murmured, and he nodded his head. They fell silent then, and Caitlin went back to reviewing her notes. She took periodic sips as she wrote down on her study guide, giving detailed responses to each of the questions asked. An hour passed before she shut her book with a sigh.

"I think that's enough for one day," she murmured, and Barry closed his sketch pad.

"Thanks for letting me sit with you, Caitlin," he said.

"Thanks for the coffee," she replied, and they shared a smile. They didn't stay around and chat after that, but he did join her again at the table the next day.

XXXX

Barry and Caitlin soon fell into a routine. She would meet him at the coffee shop, and he'd have their drinks ready. Then, they would sit down, and she'd get busy with studying, and he'd start drawing. Sometimes, she'd watch him out of the corner of her eye, taking note of his concentration when drawing. It was his passion, that much was clear.

They spent many afternoons, and well into the evening, sitting with each other. They sometimes talked, learning a bit more about each other. He had a childhood best friend, Iris West, who had just gotten married. Caitlin laughed gently as he recounted the horror he experienced at being her best man.

"She actually made me go dress shopping with her," he cringed one day, and Caitlin shook her head fondly.

"The horror," she teased, and Barry laughed.

She looked at his pad on the table, and bit her lip.

"Can-can I see what you're drawing?" Caitlin asked hesitantly, and it was his turn to bite his lip.

"Sure," he murmured after a momentary pause, and slid the pad across the table. She flipped open to a page, and received a start. She found herself looking at a drawing of her. She looked back up at him, and noticed his brow crinkled.

"I swear. I'm not a stalker," he promised earnestly, and Caitlin laughed gently.

"May I flip through more?" Caitlin asked, and he nodded.

She searched through his sketch pad, coming across multiple pictures of herself. Some, she was bent over her work, studying. Other times, she was playing with her coffee. One, a black and white one of herself, caught her attention.

"Do I really look that sad?" Caitlin murmured, tracing the sketch gently.

Barry sighed.

"Not all the time. And not since we've been sitting together," he promised gently. She nodded her head.

"I'm curious, though, what happened to make you look that sad?" Barry asked quietly. Caitlin didn't answer him that day, but she would answer him a few weeks later.

XXXX

"His name was Ronnie," she murmured one day, playing with her coffee cup. Barry paused from where he was drawing, pencil poised.

"Was?" Barry asked gently, softly. Caitlin sighed, and nodded her head.

"Passed, freshman year," she muttered, swallowing down the painful memories.

Barry hesitantly reached a hand out to her, tracing her knuckles with the pad of his thumb.

"I'm sorry, Caitlin," he murmured. "Was…was he your boyfriend?"

"Since high school," she whispered, and Barry exhaled slowly.

"I'm so sorry," he murmured again, and she smiled slightly.

"It's okay. Old wounds. I'm not nearly as in much pain as I was when he first died," she promised softly, and that seemed to ease some of tension that had stretched itself across his face. He still looked at her with a pained expression, however.

"I lost my mom when I was kid," he said softly, and she looked at him.

"So, you understand about the pain, then," she commented, and he nodded his head.

"No matter how much time passes, it never really leaves us," he replied.

"Exactly," Caitlin whispered. They both grew quiet then, and Caitlin took a sip of her coffee.

"There are more pictures where you're happy than there are of you sad," Barry said quietly, and she pushed down the lump in her throat.

"That's good," she whispered. She watched as he flipped through the pages in his book, searching, He paused about three fourths of the way into it, and pulled out a picture, and handed it to her.

It was of her, of course. She was smiling, and there was the warmth in her eyes that had left after Ronnie had left. She was laughing, and her coffee was held loosely in her hands.

"I drew this the day before you asked to look at my photos," Barry said, and she looked at him.

"I look so happy," she murmured, fingers tracing the drawing gently.

"That's because you are. I haven't seen you sad in a long time," he replied.

"I think that's because I met you," she said truthfully, and the smile that stretched across his lips told Caitlin she had said something inexplicably right. She returned his smile.

It didn't take them too much longer to go on a date with one another. Then, three years later, a week after their wedding, they were decorating their new house. She smiled as she placed the picture of her smiling and holding her coffee cuo next to the one that Barry had drawn of their hands, wedding bands smiling at them. She sighed. Everything was perfect.

Author's note: Prompt I got about one of them drawing the other, and this is the road I went down on. Hope you like it. XOXO


	41. Chapter 41

Winter had arrived early that year and with it brought the night everyone was most looking forward to. Caitlin's wedding. True, she had had a wedding before, this one was different because, this time, the super hero wasn't going to leave her behind. Sighing happily, she sat still as Felicity painted on her makeup. Her matron of honor knew exactly the kind of makeup she wanted; perks of becoming best friends with one another after Killer Frost came to the right said.

"You look beautiful, Cait," Felicity murmured, rubbing in some blush. Caitlin smiled.

"Thank you, Licity," she said softly. Just then, there was a soft knock at her door, and Caitlin looked up as Harry peered his head in.

"There's the blushing bride," he smiled, and she returned it.

"Did Jesse and Wally make it safely?" Caitlin asked, not knowing if all the guests arrived alright or not. Harry nodded his head, stepping into the room, and closed the door behind him.

"Just arrived. Jesse went to go check in on Iris and Eddie, Wally with Barry and Cisco," Harry replied, and Caitlin nodded her head.

"Ah, don't move when I'm putting mascara on you," Felicity scolded, and Caitlin frowned.

"Oops," she mouthed guiltily. Felicity shook her head fondly.

"Just hold still for a couple more minutes, then we'll be through," she promised, and Caitlin didn't move until she was given the go ahead a few minutes later.

"And, finished," Felicity said, moving back so Caitlin could look at herself in the mirror.

"Wow, Licity," she murmured, studying her reflection. "You did a great job."

Felicity smiled, before picking up Caitlin's wedding dress that was hanging on a rack next to them. She looked pointedly at Harry.

"We'll call you when we're ready," she said, and he nodded his head.

"See you in a bit, Snow," he said, before ducking out of the room. Butterflies started to dance in her stomach, beating against their confinement. She took steadying breathes.

"No need to be nervous, Cait," Felicity soothed as she helped ease Caitlin into the dress. "You guys have been ready for this day since you first met. Don't forget that."

Caitlin nodded her head and let her best friend's words soothe her nerves. Felicity picked up her bouquet and called for Harry. He came back into the room a moment later.

"Ready?" Harry asked, and Caitlin nodded, not sure where her voice went to.

"She's nervous, so make sure you have a tight grip on her," Felicity instructed, and Harry pulled Caitlin's arm through his. If anyone was the perfect guy to walk her down the aisle, considering her father couldn't be the one to do it, it was Harry.

"Deep breaths, Snow," Harry encouraged softly, patting her hand. She nodded her head as the music started up. Felicity looked at her.

"Follow me in fifteen seconds. He won't know what hit him as soon as he sees you," the vivacious blonde winked, and Caitlin smirked slightly. She counted fifteen seconds as soon as Felicity left the room, and, when it was her turn to go out of the room, she tapped Harry on the arm, and they were walking.

As soon as her eyes found his, they both split into grins. She had never seen him look so good in a suit before. She walked her way to him, ignoring the crowd around her. It was him and her today. As soon as she reached him, his grin widened.

"Cait," he said softly, lovingly.

"Barry," she whispered, and Harry unhooked their arms, placing her hand into Barry's.

"Take care of her, Allen," he murmured, low enough for just them to hear. Barry nodded.

"With all I have," he vowed seriously. Caitlin kissed Harry on the cheek, and allowed Barry to pull her up the short stairs and towards the minister. They had agreed on a wedding outside of Joe's house, and had set up a platform for the bride and groom to stand on, along with the minister. Cisco, Joe, and Hartley were standing next to Barry, smiling at them. Felicity was standing behind Caitlin, Iris a couple of feet behind her. Everything was perfect.

Caitlin listened to the minister, tears blurring her vision. When it came time to say her vows, her voice was shaky, with all the attention on her. Barry squeezed her hand gently.

"Just you and me, baby," he said softly.

"You and me," she mouthed. She cleared her throat.

"Barry Allen, from this day forward, I vow to love you whole-heartedly and unconditionally. I vow to trust you inexplicably, to stand strong with you in the face of trying times. I will go to the ends of the earth with you, standing tall by your side. You're the best thing that has ever happened to me, and I love you," she said with conviction. When it was Barry's turn, his smile radiated brighter than the sun.

"Caitlin Snow," he breathed, and she felt her heart beating pleasantly. "I have loved you since the day I opened my eyes. Since the day we became a team. You have been nothing short of perfection, and I love you. I promise to always protect you, and to go to the ends of the earth for you. It's you and me, baby, and we're going to be together for as long as we both are alive."

They exchanged rings then, Caitlin's finger trembling as Barry slid hers' on it. As soon as the cool band touched her finger, locking securely in place, Caitlin's trembling stopped, and she was no longer shy. She was home. They kissed when the minister gave them the go ahead, and Caitlin wrapped her arms around Barry, feeling the kiss in the tips of her toes. When they pulled apart, Barry kissed her forehead.

"I love you, wife," he murmured.

"And, I love you, husband," she replied softly. Their friends had stood up and were cheering them on as they walked down the aisle.

XXXX

Their reception was in full swing by the time they had arrived. Caitlin had changed into a dress, and sweater, the wintry night in full swing. Barry and Caitlin shared their first dance together, swaying to the song gently. Neither of them were very good dancers, but it didn't seem to matter; all that mattered was they were with each other.

"Penny for your thoughts, Mrs. Allen?" Barry whispered into her ear, and Caitlin sighed happily.

"I could get used to that," she murmured, and Barry kissed her temple.

"Good," he replied softly.

"And, I'm just thinking how good it feels that we made it to this point. How right," she said, and Barry nodded his head.

"It does feel right," he said. They continued swaying, just holding each other. When their song ended, Harry walked up and tapped Barry on the shoulder.

"Mind if I cut in?" Harry asked, and Barry kissed Caitlin gently.

"Of course," he said. Iris walked up to him, holding her arms open. Caitlin smiled softly at them, before dancing with Harry.

"Your father would be proud of you, Caitlin," Harry said as he twirled them around. He was a much more skilled dancer than Barry and herself. She nodded her head, swallowed passed the lump in her throat.

"I know," she whispered.

"And, I'm proud of you," he added, and she smiled, lump dissolved.

"Thanks, Harry," she said, and he nodded.

"You've come so far as Killer Frost," he said, and she laughed gently.

"When you got it, you got it," she said, and he smirked.

"And, you've go it," he said, finishing their old joke. They shared a laugh, and he passed her off back to Barry when he came back for another dance.

Caitlin spent the whole night twirling around on the dance floor, sharing dances with everyone from Hartley and Cisco, to Oliver and Eddie. Everyone wanted to dance with her it seemed. When it came time to toss her bouquet, she laughed as the girls piled on the dance floor. With no skill whatsoever, she tossed her bouquet behind her and right into Jesse's waiting hands. She watched as Wally shared a smile with her, and knew that they'd probably be attending their wedding next.

When the night ended, Barry and Caitlin said goodbye to everyone, walking to their car. No flashing tonight. Just a simple drive to the airport. They were going to Europe.

"Now, what?" Caitlin asked, nuzzling into Barry's neck when they were sitting on the plane.

"Now, Mrs. Allen, onwards towards eternity," he murmured.

"Eternity sounds good," she said softly, feeling like everything had finally fallen into place.

Author's note: One shot about their wedding night. Hope you like it! Prompts accepted in the comments. Still working on them. Also, I'm an anxious perfectionist, (seriously, my health is off track because of it), so I might be slowing down a bit on the prompts. Getting a couple out every few days. Please bare-with me. XOXO


	42. Chapter 42

Barry watched as Caitlin side stepped his hug for the third time, and frowned. He wasn't sure what was going on with her, but she had never been one to dodge his hugs before. Three times, mind you. Sighing, he watched as she grimaced apologetically at him, before sliding into her sweater.

"I'm going to call it a night," she murmured. Barry studied her for a long moment, before nodding his head.

"So am I. I'll walk you home," he replied, but she quickly shook her head, and that had his frown intensifying.

"I'll be fine," she mumbled.

Uh, excuse you, Caitlin Snow, but chivalry is not dead, thank you very much.

"I'd much rather make sure you get home safely," Barry insisted, and Caitlin bit her lip.

"Alright," she whispered. Barry breathed out a sigh of relief.

"Thank you," he murmured, sliding his arms into his jacket himself. After they had locked up everything, they headed out. Caitlin was careful to keep a good bit of space between them, Barry noticed. It made the knots of worry coil tightly in his stomach, and not for the first time, he wondered what on earth was going through her head.

He cast around for a topic to discuss, not being used to feeling uncomfortable around her. They had always been good friends; had always had gentle conversation flowing through them.

"So, good thing about Everyman being stopped?" Barry asked, and he could've sworn Caitlin flinched.

"Uh, yeah, good thing," she mumbled, stuffing her hands inside of her pockets and looking, it seemed to Barry, like she was trying to make herself as small as possible. She was already tiny, so he didn't know how she was going to succeed with that mission. But, it did make him look at her in worry.

"Hey, Cait, are you alright?" Barry asked softly, placing a hand gently on her shoulder. She gasped, and stepped away from him. Alright. Enough is enough.

"You're definitely not alright," Barry murmured, wishing he knew what was bothering his friend.

"I'm fine, Barry," Caitlin mumbled, but the speedster was stubborn, especially when it came to his friends.

"No, you're not. You can't stand me touching you, but have no problem when other people do it. I mean, c'mon, you let Cisco hug you four times today, and even fist bumped with him once, but when I go in for a hug, you run from me like I have the plague. What's the deal?" Barry asked. Caitlin sighed.

"No deal. I didn't realize I was doing that, I'm sorry," Caitlin muttered. Barry was about to call her out on her blatant lie.

"So, you'd be perfectly fine if I hugged you now, then?" Barry asked. Her face said it all.

"C'mon, Cait, just tell me what's wrong. I don't know how to fix what I did wrong if I don't know," he murmured, and she sighed, before hesitantly nodding.

"I-It has to do with Everyman," she whispered, keeping her eyes firmly on the ground. Barry felt something suspiciously like fear well up inside of him, but he remained calm.

"Alright, what happened?" Barry asked.

"H-He may have kissed me," Caitlin mumbled, eyes still downcast. His fear was soon replaced by anger.

"He had the audacity to kiss you?" Barry hissed, flexing his hand. While he and Caitlin had always danced around the possibility of what they could be, they never explored it thoroughly. She was with Ronnie, and then wasn't. He chased after Iris, and then didn't. There never seemed to be the right time for them.

"That's not the worst part," Caitlin whispered, and his heart stopped. Oh god, what was he going to hear?

"What…what did he do?" Barry whispered, feeling the fear coil tighter than possible in his stomach. Caitlin inhaled shakily, and Barry had the urge to squeeze her shoulder gently, reassuringly, but held himself back. He needed to respect her wishes to not be touched.

"He kissed me as…as…as you," she muttered, trying to make herself small again. Barry felt an anger dancing in his stomach, threatening to explode out of him.

"That jerk shape shifted into me, and then kissed you?" Barry asked, voice dangerously low. Caitlin sighed.

"Yeah, it wasn't my favorite moment of the day either," she murmured. She tucked her arms into her chest, and held onto them.

"Want to know the worst part?" Caitlin asked bitterly.

"What's worst than a meta shape shifting into a guy you trust and breaking that trust in less than a day?" Barry muttered, and Caitlin laughed once. The sound was unamused.

"The fact that I really, really wish it had been you," she whispered, and Barry blinked.

"Cait…," he began, but trailed off, unsure of what to say.

"No, let me say this. While it goes down as the most uncomfortable kiss I've ever experienced because it wasn't you, a part of me wished it had been you. After I was able to look passed the fact that it was a meta human who kissed me, and the fact that I'll probably need to do ten rounds with mouthwash when I get home, I had started wondering what it would have been like if it was really you who had kissed me," she said, hugging herself tightly. She seemed like she had more to say so, while still seething, Barry remained patient, letting her talk at her own pace. It was the least he owed her.

"But, then I remembered I'm not Iris," Caitlin finished with a sigh.

Barry hesitantly reached out, smiling when she didn't flinch much, and placed his hand on her shoulder.

"You're Caitlin, and that's pretty damn good for me," he assured. She shook her head.

"You know, for a doctor, you'd think I'd have more self-confidence," she laughed bitterly. "But, the truth of the matter is, I don't. Iris is gorgeous."

"So are you," Barry said firmly, and he cupped her cheek. He took it as a good sign that she didn't cringe away from him, just slowly exhaled.

"Don't think you aren't, Cait," he whispered, and she searched his face. If she was looking for any hint of dishonesty, there wasn't any to find.

Her smile was enough to light the sky. "Thanks."

He didn't kiss her, not wanting to traumatize her more, but he did hold her hand.

And, that seemed to be enough for them both.

Fin.

Author's note: Prompt I got about Everyman. I was mad that they never addressed that scene. Hope you like it, friend. XOXO


	43. Chapter 43

Caitlin twisted the ring on her finger absentmindedly as she and Barry twirled around the dance floor. Tonight, they were undercover as Mr. and Mrs. Allen, trying to stop a rogue meta human who had been hitting extravagant parties, and robbing everyone of their cash and finer jewels. Caitlin, who purposefully picked out the shiniest engagement ring Harry could offer, made sure she had her hand tilted just right, so that the light would bounce off the diamonds, causing it to shimmer all around the room. Nothing attracted a robber more than a shimmering piece of jewelry. About three hours down, and she was growing increasingly worried.

"Barry, are we sure he's even going to show?" Caitlin whispered, biting her lip. Barry nodded his head as they danced; she had to admit, it felt good being in his arms. Felt right.

"Relax, Cait, he'll show," Barry soothed, and his tone alone was enough to ease her worries. Barry and Caitlin had been dancing around each other for the past three years, never having put a name to what they were. But, they were something. Something that, Caitlin hoped, would be explored soon. She wasn't sure if she was ready to love again, not after all the times she had had her heart broken, but she was interested in finding out. And, it didn't seem like Barry was in any rush to break her heart.

"Alright," she whispered, laying her head on his chest. She focused on the rhythmic beating of his heart, helping lull her into a sense of calmness. She had just about relaxed completely, when gunfire broke, and people immediately began screaming.

"I want everyone's cash, wallets, purses, and jewelry now!" The man shouted, and Caitlin yanked herself up right again, heart hammering in her throat.

"David's here," she muttered, not that Barry needed to be told that. He squeezed her hand gently.

"Stay away from him until I come back and do what he says," he murmured, low enough for only herself to hear. That was their plan. She was going to comply by David's rules, but not actually cross into his line of fire. Barry was going to slip out, unnoticed, and come back as the Flash. The rest was child's play.

He squeezed her hand one last time, before ducking out; David was too busy with his victims at the front of the room to notice. When he got to Caitlin, he smirked.

"That's a pretty ring for a pretty lady," he said lowly, and Caitlin bit back the urge to cringe. She raised an eyebrow at him.

"My husband gave it to me," she replied coolly, trying to make sure to keep herself in check. The last thing the team needed was for her to pop off a retort to their meta.

"You'll notice I don't care, lady. Hand it over," he waved the gun at her impatiently. Caitlin swallowed nervously, and took her time taking the ring off, wishing Barry would hurry up.

"Today, lady," David snarled, and Caitlin winced.

"Alright, alright, stay calm," she muttered, sliding the ring off and tossing it to him. She watched in dismay as he multiplied it with a flick of his hand. The downside to their meta human, besides him being rogue? He had the ability to multiple objects. So, when he stole cash and jewelry, it really was to his benefit. He just multiplied everything he stole. Caitlin bit her lip, wondering how she could best distract David until Barry showed up. Luckily, the man in question flashed in just then.

"I think you've got a few things that don't belong to you, David," Barry commented idly, voice distorted.

"Flash," David muttered. He rolled his eyes, sighing deeply.

"Here I was, hoping to do this without anybody getting hurt," he said. So quick, Caitlin was unsure how it happened, David grabbed the woman nearest to him and put the gun to her head.

"Why don't we just all calm down?" Caitlin asked.

"Why don't you just shut up, lady?" David snapped, before directing his attention on Barry.

"Now, Flash, here's what we're going to do. You're going to not be the hero, just this once, and let me walk out of here, and I won't be forced to shoot this woman," David said. Caitlin watched as the woman trembled, and felt her heart bleed for her. She had been the bait all too often herself to not know the fear that woman felt.

"Take it easy, David," Barry encouraged, but David pressed the gun more firmly against her temple, and the woman gasped.

"Can you tell me your name?" Caitlin asked the woman gently, hoping to force the attention onto herself, and take it away from his victim.

"C-Cassie," she gasped, and Caitlin smiled warmly.

"Just, take a few deep breaths, you're fine," Caitlin murmured. Perhaps the soothing tone she wished to convey hard worked, because Cassie inhaled shakily a couple of times, and squared her shoulders.

"Let go of me," Cassie hissed, but David just smirked smugly.

"No, and shut up," he snapped, ramming the gun into her head. That was enough to make Barry lose it. Before David had time to register what was happening, he ran towards him, a flash of dancing electricity, and had removed Cassie from his grip. David had seemed to anticipate this because the gun went off. People started screaming, pushing each other to get to the nearest exit.

Caitlin watched as Barry talked to Cassie, double checking to make sure she hadn't been hit. By the looks of it, neither had he. Then, Barry ran to David, and threw the first punch, knocking him to the ground.

"Flash," Caitlin called.

"One minute," he called back. Caitlin watched as Barry unloaded the gun, and the CCPD came running in.

"Flash," Caitlin said again.

"One minute, please," he replied. Joe and his team had David surrounded, and Joe was putting handcuffs on him. David shot Barry a smirk.

"Don't know what you're looking so smug about buddy, you're going to jail," Barry commented cheerfully.

"Yeah, well, better go see what your friend wanted Flash," David replied, a devious glint in his eyes. Perhaps that caused Barry to reassess the situation, because he looked up at Caitlin. Only to spot her clutching her stomach tightly to help stop the blood from rushing out of her.

"Caitlin?" Barry called in alarm, rushing to her. He dropped to his knees to where she was laying on the ground, and covered his own hands on top of hers', helping to stop the blood flow.

"No, no, no," Barry muttered, pushing her hair off her forehead.

"I-I tried to call to y-you," Caitlin mumbled, feeling disoriented. She shut her eyes. He shook her shoulder.

"Hey, keep your eyes open, Cait," he murmured, scooping her up.

"Run Barry, run," she whispered, before lolling her head back, and succumbing to the darkness that crashed over her like a tidal wave.

XXXX

When Caitlin came to, it was dark. She wasn't sure what had happened, or where she was. She gasped, trying to see past the fuzziness in her eyes. A strong hand gripped hers', squeezing gently.

"Easy, Cait," Barry soothed, and she blinked, pushing passed the fuzziness. When he loomed into view, she sighed.

"You ran," she said hoarsely.

"Faster than I ever have before," he said lowly, reaching out for her cup of water. After she had some, she leaned back onto the pillows.

"So, I'm alive," she stated.

"Barely. You lost a lot of blood," he muttered, and Caitlin could tell just how guilty Barry was feeling. She squeezed his hand.

"Not your fault," she whispered, and he snorted.

"Just about," he argued, sighing. "If I wasn't so busy trying to toy with our bad guy, I could've prevented this."

"You can't stop everything bad from happening, no matter how fast you run, and how hard you try," she said softly.

"Well, that sucks," Barry said, aggravatedly. She smiled tiredly.

"Besides, you got me here. That's the most I can ask of you," she reminded him gently.

"You can't do something like that again," he whispered, and she looked at him.

"Do what?" Caitlin asked softly.

"Almost die," he whispered, pain buried deep in his eyes. Her heart bled for him.

"Oh, Barry," she murmured, squeezing his hand again. He grabbed it and brought the back of it to his mouth, placing a feather-light kiss there.

Caitlin stared at him, wondering what would happen next. She didn't have to wait long to find out.

"I think it's time we stopped dancing around each other, and did something about what we both feel, hmm? Before I don't get the chance to do so again," he murmured. Caitlin nodded her head.

"I agree," she said quietly.

"Then how about it? After you heal, and have had all the strawberry Jell-O you can handle, will you go on a date with me?" Barry asked.

Caitlin couldn't tell for certain, what with being foggy from the pain meds, but she thought she smiled.

"Soundsgood," she mumbled.

Barry melodious laughter was all that told her that she made the right decision.

Fin

Author's note: Prompt I got. Hope you like it. And, I will be getting to most of my requests. I'm just trying to get out some from people who haven't made requests before.


	44. Chapter 44

Savitar traced Killer Frost's upper lip, smirking slightly.

"How is it that I can spend years not caring about anyone or anything but myself, and yet, when you come into the picture, you're all I can think about?" Savitar mused, and it was Frost's turn to smirk.

"Don't tell me you're going soft on me, Sav," Frost said softly, tracing the lines on his face with her eyes. His eyes hooded into slits and he shook his head.

"Never, Frost," he said firmly, voice leaving no room for her to doubt. She grinned like the Cheshire cat.

"Good, because we've got hell to raise," she said quietly, laughing deliciously, and Savitar parroted her. He nodded his head, before brushing his warm lips across her cold ones. It never failed to amaze her that he seemed to be the only person who could warm her up without having any of his heat stolen. She kissed him back, smiling slightly. When they pulled apart, Savitar are breathing heavily.

"You'll follow me?" Savitar asked lowly, and she stared at him.

"Until the end of time," she vowed seriously, and he nodded once.

"Then, let's get in there," he said, and she didn't need telling twice. They marched into Star Labs silently and headed to the Cortex. She didn't need to be told where it was, having learned from Caitlin. He seemed to know because he simply knew things. It was part of the draw to him for her. When they got right outside of the cortex, they looked at one another.

"Til the end of time?" Savitar asked once more.

"Til the end of time," she whispered, and he smirked, before walking inside, her following him.

"Well, well, well, doesn't this look cozy?" Killer Frost asked icily, noting every head snapping up and staring in her direction. Barry was the first to move to her, speeding towards her. Savitar didn't think much of that plan and vibrated in front of her, pushing him back forcefully. She smirked as he flew across the room.

"Any other idiots want a turn?" Savitar snapped, and Killer Frost watched as Cisco ran over to Barry, assessing how much damage had been done. Killer Frost glanced around, and spotted Joe pulling out his gun. She rolled her eyes.

"What's with every good guy thinking they can outsmart me?" Killer Frost trilled, raising her hands and shooting ice forward. The gun was frozen before he even had time to fire, and she watched in fascination as it dropped uselessly to the ground.

"Cait," Joe began, and Killer Frost's eyes flashed dangerously.

"Don't call me that," she hissed, shooting ice directly at his legs. She laughed when he yelped, stumbling in the too large blocks of ice incasing his legs.

"Cat got your tongue, West?" Savitar asked calmly, and Killer Frost shared a look with him. When he nodded, so did she, and made her way to their computer systems. One sweep of her icy hand over the monitors and keyboards, and she had destroyed their hardware.

"Caitlin, we needed that!" Cisco cried, and she smirked.

"And, I needed you to call me by my name, Francisco," she replied calmly. "Doesn't look like we always get what we want."

"Caitlin, this isn't you," Barry said, sitting up from where he had been resting on the floor. Killer Frost eyed him, before making her way towards him. When she reached him, she crouched down, and placed her lips next to his ear.

"Except Flash, in this case, this is exactly who I am," she whispered, noting his shiver. She smirked.

"Don't test me, Allen," she said more loudly, standing up and looking over at Iris.

"West-Allen, just going to stand there?" Frost chimed, and Iris narrowed her eyes.

"C'mon Frost, let Cait go," she said lowly, and it was Frost's turn to narrow her eyes.

"I don't think so, sweetheart," she sang, looking at Savitar. He looked back at her and nodded his head once.

"We'll be seeing you around, West-Allen," he said softly, and Killer Frost's eyes danced. She was in her element. Savitar ran to her, picked her up, and sped off all in a flash of lightening and electricity. She didn't have time to register what was happening or where they were going until they were back in his own set of labs. She raised an eyebrow at him.

"Such a flare for dramatics," she said, and he shrugged.

"Just putting on a show for our audience," he agreed, before kissing her.

She knew that the day was barely getting started; that they had a lot of work to do around town. But, she allowed a moment of pause before getting started on their other villainous outings for the day. Right now, she was enjoying the feel of warmth coursing through her. And that was all she needed to know that she was alive, truly alive.

Author's note: A short one-shot about Savitar and KF being evil together. I'm working on getting out other one shots and am quite sick. Hope you liked it, friend! Xxx


	45. Chapter 45

Caitlin hadn't told anybody, let alone her teammates and best friends about her PTSD. It had been triggered after Killer Frost surfaced the previous year. True, the two women worked better with each other this year, Caitlin still suffered from daily panic attacks. Luckily, they happened when she wasn't around anybody, and they were manageable. Usually. The days they weren't, she opted to stay home. Cisco had tried visiting her those days, tried finding out what was wrong. She usually just told him she wasn't feeling well and wanted to be left alone. Luckily, her friend understood the way she operated and didn't force his company on her. He just left, saying he was a text or phone call away.

Today was a day that Caitlin's PTSD was apparent but manageable. She had made it to work early, being the first one there. Usually, she would invest in this time to get some of her day to day chores done, but instead, she just brewed the coffee, and thought about what she needed to do instead of doing it. It wasn't long before other people came trickling in.

"Hey, Caitlin," Cisco called to her, and she smiled at him.

"Coffee's ready," she replied, tilting her head towards the pot. He smiled gratefully and went to go make himself a cup. She took another sip out of hers'. It wasn't long before everyone was there, and the day truly began. Days when she was happy, she worked well with her team. Days when she was sad, well, she didn't like to know how she even functioned on those days, let alone worked with anybody. She just tried her hardest to keep a tight lid on her disorders, not letting them scratch the surface. She didn't need anybody else to know she was having a hard time with life.

She tapped her fingers against her keyboard, alerting Barry to the quickest route to apprehend their latest meta. He had originally wanted Killer Frost out in the field with him, but she wasn't sure what the outcome would be for either of them with her PTSD, so opted to stay behind and be his eyes from behind the scenes. He didn't push her, and she was grateful. By the time he had apprehended their meta, she was starting to wish she had just stayed home. Her PTSD came in interesting forms. When he it had been triggered by Zoom abducting her, she hallucinated him. Everywhere. Now? Now, she had panic attacks and couldn't sleep the whole night through.

Even though she knew Killer Frost wasn't evil anymore, and that she was helping the team, Caitlin still had her doubts and her fears. She feared that the smallest flick, and Killer Frost would go back to be the meta human they hunted, rather than the hunting meta human. She feared that Barry would lock her in the pipeline again, or worse. Whatever could be worse than that, she feared. She took a couple of deep breaths, willing herself to stay calm. The last thing she needed was to have a panic attack in front of her friends.

Her hair whipped around her just then, and she spotted Barry skidding to a stop, meta human slung over his shoulder.

"I'm just going to put him in the pipeline," he said, and they all waved him off. The day was ending. Darkness was creeping in. The toughest time of the day for her. She functioned well when there was light. Killer Frost liked to come out of the shadows and play when night fell. True, it was never anything bad, it still set Caitlin's teeth on edge. She feared the day when it would become bad again. One by one, everyone left, with Caitlin saying she still had somethings to do. She didn't. She just wasn't ready to head out into the dark. She waved Barry off with one final promise.

"I'm fine, go home, get some sleep," she encouraged, and he looked at her one last time, before nodding his head.

"Call me if you need me," he replied, before heading out of the cortex. She watched his retreating back until he turned the corner and was out of sight altogether. She bit her lip, toying with some ideas, before deciding to go down to the pipeline. She knew she shouldn't, that it was a stupid, dangerous idea. But, she needed to make sure their meta was okay. She knew what it was like to be punished for powers out of her control.

Once she was down in the pipeline, she took a steadying breath. This part of the labs caused her great anxiety and distress. She got flashbacks to being locked in the pipeline herself, with nowhere to go. The rooms weren't big and add into the fact a door, sealing someone in, well, it wasn't any surprise that her heart was thumping rather harshly. She willed the trembling in her hands to stop and pressed the button that opened the door. Their meta human came spinning into view. She studied him, and he her.

"Yes?" He asked casually. She bit her lip.

"Are you alright, James?" Caitlin asked, and James raised an eyebrow at her.

"Are you even supposed to be down here, little girl?" James asked.

Little girl? Caitlin felt affronted. Drawing herself up to her full height, she narrowed her eyes at him.

"Just came to check on you, make sure you were alright. I'll be going now," she snapped. Not giving him a chance to reply, she pressed the button again, shutting him in. The clang of the door sent her PTSD sky rocketing, and suddenly, she had even bigger flashbacks of being locked in the pipeline. Worse? Flashbacks of Savitar. Stumbling, she propelled herself forward, trying to get far away from the place that caused her harm.

Her palms were sweating, and her breaths were coming out in shallow puffs of air. Even though her legs felt like Jell-O, she kept pushing herself forward. Everything came rushing over her like a tidal wave. Kidnapping Iris the previous year. Cecil. All the harm she had caused. She wasn't sure when her teeth had started chattering, but all she noticed was she was gasping.

"Ah, ah, ah," she gasped, stumbling into the cortex. She didn't even register Barry was back there, not until he was right next to her.

"Caitlin?" Barry asked in alarm, and she looked at him. She knew her fear must've been written across her face, because he was soon wrapping an arm around her waist and urging her to the bed in the bay.

"Easy, just breath," he said softly.

"I-I can't," she uttered, heart beating impossibly fast. Why had Killer Frost been hell bent on so much destruction last year? Why had her friends forgiven her? She didn't deserve their forgiveness.

Barry eased her down onto the bed, flashing away and coming back a moment later, glass of water in his hands. He guided the cup to her mouth, helping her tilt her head back a little.

"Nice and easy, Cait, nice and easy," he said quietly. Her throat was raw from the sheer panic she felt, and tremors were wracking through her body. She shook like a leaf. She knew she needed to focus on her breathing, something to help regulate it. After she got a therapist for her anxiety when Zoom had kidnapped her, she had taught her about box breathing. Knowing that was her only hope at attaining peace, Caitlin squeezed her eyes shut.

"In for four, out for four, hold," she muttered.

"What?" Barry asked, and she could tell by the sudden closeness, he had crouched down in front of her.

"In for four, out for four, hold," she muttered again, repeating those words like a mantra. Barry soon cottoned on and helped repeat the words for her.

"In for four, out for four, hold. Good. Again," he said, and she felt her heart start slowing down, and some of the tremors stopped hitting her. Soon, she was able to breathe normally. Taking one last, long inhale, she looked at Barry.

"Sorry," she whispered, dropping her eyes down to the bed; she plucked at a loose thread in the bed, avoiding eye contact. Barry sat down next to her, stilling her hand gently.

"Cait, what was that?" Barry asked quietly, and she closed her eyes.

"Nothing," she whispered, but he wasn't having it.

"Obviously something. It looked like a panic attack," he murmured, and she sighed.

"It was," she muttered, rolling her eyes. Trust her to not be able to keep herself together around other people. Although, she had thought he had left.

"I thought you left," she muttered, looking at him. He shrugged.

"I forgot something and came back for it. You stumbled into the cortex only a moment after I walked in. Where were you coming from?" Barry asked curiously.

"Pipeline," she said sheepishly. Realization dawned on him.

"Is that what caused the panic attack?" Barry asked carefully.

"Partly," she admitted. "The other part was the fear I still feel from Killer Frost herself."

"Why do you feel fear from her?" Barry asked, and Caitlin could tell he was trying to help her as best he could. Nodding her head, she looked at her hands in her lap.

"I…sometimes worry that she'll end up doing more harm than good, like last time, and you guys will be forced to lock me away," she said quietly.

"Oh, Cait," Barry said softly, squeezing her hand gently. It felt nice, his warmth.

"That's not going to happen, I can promise you that," he said confidently, and she looked at him.

"How? How can you promise me that?" Caitlin asked desperately, and he squeezed her hand again.

"Because, this time, you're stronger than her. And you've got all of us looking out for you. Last year, we were so consumed by Iris and Savitar, that we forgot one of our best friends was also hurting. We won't make the same mistake twice," he said. And that was enough to ease the last bit of anxiety she was feeling. They sat there, in silence, just enjoying each other's company. It wasn't too long before Barry suggested that he get her home. She agreed wordlessly. After they got to her apartment, he stayed, letting her finally, finally share the true repercussions she felt from being held hostage by Killer Frost. He never judged her, just proved to be an exceptionally good friend, and listener. By the time all her secrets came pouring out of her, the sun had risen, and they were looking at a new day.

"Thanks for letting me in, Cait. All the way in," Barry said, and she nodded.

"Thanks for just listening," she replied quietly, voice raw from all the talking she had done. But. She had finally admitted to someone about her PTSD and anxiety. An accomplishment that would leave her happy to come for a very long time afterwards. All was right.

Author's note: Prompt I got about PTSD and panic attacks. Hope you like it. If you have a prompt, feel free to leave me a comment. Xxx.


	46. Chapter 46

Barry knew this day would come. Hell, Joe knew this day would come before even Barry had the thought to know. He just didn't know how it would come so fast. Here he was, heart in his hand, and looking at his girlfriend's mother apprehensively. He had already asked Harry for his blessing, feeling as if that was the proper thing to do when it came to Caitlin. Caitlin and Harry had bonded in ways that no one else on the team had; Harry had stepped in and became the father Caitlin had lacked. It only felt right to ask for his blessing; felt natural. After getting permission from him, Barry sought out the next most important person in asking for Caitlin's hand in marriage: her mother. Ms. Snow, while a formidable woman, had grown fond of Barry. Or, so Caitlin said. Now was the time to put that little theory to practice and see just how right she had been.

XXXX

By the time Barry's task with Ms. Snow had come to fruition, he was less nervous than he originally was. The hard part was over; both of her parents had said yes. Now all he needed was for Caitlin to say yes. And, damn, if that didn't bring a new round of terror on. What if she said no? She could say no. They had only been dating for two years. Maybe she wasn't ready. Maybe he wasn't ready. After all, he always thought it was going to be Iris who he'd marry. And, technically, Caitlin had been married to Ronnie.

Sighing, he felt the box in his pocket weighing him down like a boulder and drove to their apartment in deep contemplation. What would happen if she said no? Would they break up? Or would things be a little awkward at first, but they'd find a way to work through it? Oh god, things were going to be totally awkward for a while, weren't they? She was going to say no, and then he was going to have to move in with Cisco while she came to terms with everything. Don't even get him started on missions. Killer Frost would probably blast him with her ice out of sheer annoyance for making her human unhappy.

Barry had all but turned his car around and drove to the ocean, where he could throw the ring into it and no one would be the wiser. When Harry would ask what she had said, he'd just play dumb, acting like Harry had fallen and hit his head. Yeah, because that would work. Especially when his girlfriend, who was a doctor, mind you, could blatantly tell there was no bump on his head from said fall. Somehow, (he wasn't quite sure how), he had ended up at the apartment he had been sharing with his girlfriend for the past two years. Inhaling deeply, he opened his car door and got out. It was now or never.

XXX

Caitlin was singing tunelessly when he got into the apartment. He smelt coffee and cinnamon, the smell uniquely her and smiled; he was home. Taking a deep breath, he walked into the living room where she was dancing around (badly), to the music. Taking a moment to enjoy the pure moment of enjoyment his girlfriend was experiencing, he cleared his throat to announce his arrival. Caitlin spun around, hand flying to her throat.

"Barry! You startled me!" Caitlin laughed, before turning off the music and going over to him. She wrapped her arms around his neck, and his, her waist.

"I hope I wasn't interrupting anything?" Barry asked, and she grinned.

"Just a stupid dance party because I got tomorrow off," she replied, and he matched her grin.

"Off from Star Labs? What will they ever do without you?" Barry teased, and she swatted his chest.

"Hush. They'll survive a day without me. Lord knows I worked the past fourteen. I earned a break," she sighed, and he kissed her forehead.

"Yes, you did," he murmured, and she smiled.

"I ordered take out, hope that's okay," she said, pulling away from him and walking into the kitchen. He nodded his head and cleared his throat.

"Uh, yeah. Take out-take out is fine," he replied, willing his palms to not sweat. He had to remind himself the hard part was over: her parents had given their blessing. The rest would be a walk in the park. At least, that was what he was telling himself.

XXX

Dinner went smoothly. Well, as smoothly as to be expected. Barry talked in all the right parts, filling the conversation when it hit a lull. He knew Caitlin was curious as to why he seemed so distant.

"Sweetheart, what is it?" Caitlin asked, having lowered her chopsticks. Barry lowered his own, working hard to get his tongue to move. All he had to do was ask. Four simple words, one answer. Should be easy. Except, it wasn't. Not even a little bit.

"Alright, I'm going to ask you something, and you're probably going to say no. Then, things will be awkward for a bit, but I want us to work passed them because I am so not ready to lose you. Okay, okay. Say no," Barry muttered, squeezing his eyes shut.

"Uh, babe…you haven't asked me anything," Caitlin commented, puzzled. Barry nearly thumped himself on the forehead.

"Right. Idiot. Not you, me." Barry assured. He pulled out the box that had been weighing him down all afternoon, walked to his girlfriend, and slowly got down on one knee. He noted her look of surprise, but everything else fell away. Suddenly, it was just them. Barry and Caitlin. The way it always was. He was no longer nervous. Everything was just fine.

"Caitlin Snow, I have loved you for a long time. Even longer than I have realized. You're the woman who patches me up after every stupid decision I make. You're also the woman who has loved me unconditionally, even through all my terrible jokes. You never get mad when I tease you about your awful singing, and, let's face it babe, it's awful. You don't make rash decisions when it comes to making sure our team is safe. You've learned how to coexist with Killer Frost. You're amazing. Please, please say you'll make me the happiest man alive and be my wife?" Barry asked, popping open the box. She didn't even look at the ring, just threw her arms around his neck, laughing. They toppled to the ground, him catching her, and they were kissing.

"Yes, yes, yes," she repeated over and over.

Everything was as it should be. Perfection.


	47. Chapter 47

Caitlin, a third-year medical student, knew that today of all days would be tricky. It was Valentines Day, marking the one-year anniversary of Ronnie's death. She often thought about how unfair it was that he was the one who's life had to be taken when she was driving the car. She walked away from the wreck with a broken collarbone, and cuts. A little banged up, but was able to heal quite nicely, the only reminder of her injuries was when her collar bone flared up in pain whenever it rained. Ronnie, wasn't as lucky.

Sighing, Caitlin adjusted her backpack on her shoulder, picked up her planner, and made her way out of her apartment. She met Cisco and Hartley down by Cisco's car and they all got in wordlessly. Since the accident, Caitlin was afraid about being behind the wheel; she always went into panic whenever she was asked to drive somewhere. It was usually up to Hartley and Cisco to calm her down. While have improved somewhat, she refused to drive on his anniversary, and her friends were wise enough to not push her on the matter.

Cisco turned the station onto their favorite morning show and pulled out of their parking lot. The good thing about being best friends with the couple meant that they all lived in the same complex. Her friends had spent many a night with her right after Ronnie died, making sure she ate and had people to rely on, so she didn't slip into a dangerous depression. It was hard, though. She sometimes felt like she had slipped into it, regardless of how hard they tried.

They drove to Jitters, deciding on a quick breakfast of coffee and bagels. Their days were often long, strenuous, and tiring; Caitlin wasn't sure when they could stop and grab a bite once they started. Once there, they quickly placed their orders. They weren't in the business of taking their time; they didn't get such luxuries. After their coffee had been made and they spread their cream cheese of preference onto their bagels, they hurried out of the shop. Caitlin hopped back into the backseat, letting Hartley take the front so he could tear off pieces of Cisco's bagel and hand it to him while Cisco drove.

Caitlin ate her bagel quickly, pulling out her planner and flipping through it. She had marked today as the day the three friends were going to spend a few hours after their day ended at the library, studying for their midterms coming up.

"Remember, we've got to study today," she said, and Hartley nodded his head.

"Yeah, we've got everything we need. We figured we could hit the library for a bit, then order takeout and take it back to one of our apartments. We'd just crash at whoever that ended up being," he replied. Caitlin took a sip of her coffee, swishing around the last bit of her bagel.

"That can be mine," she volunteered, knowing there wasn't much space in either of their apartments. Hers' at least had a fold out couch. Hartley smiled.

"Thanks, Caitlin," he murmured gratefully. Cisco pulled up to Central City hospital just then, where the three of them were shadowing nurses. Caitlin hopped out of the car, slung her backpack on over her shoulder, and sent a wave to her two friends.

"Meet back here this evening?" Caitlin asked. After getting their affirmative, they all walked off in opposite directions, ready to start their long day.

XXX

By the time Caitlin's morning rounds were done, she was starving and desperate for a quick nap. Not sure what was more important now, Caitlin ran to the vending machine and grabbed a coffee and a bag of pretzels. She knew she couldn't afford to sit down and eat a sandwich or salad the hospital offered; not if she wanted to get some studying done in her down time. Glancing at her watch, she noted she had an hour before the afternoon nurses came in. She'd use that time for studying.

When she got to the break room, she noticed a brunette guy she had never seen before looking a little lost.

"Excuse me, my name is Barry. Are you a nurse?" Barry asked, and Caitlin noted the desperate edge his voice took on.

"No, I'm a third-year-medical student. Do you need a nurse?" Caitlin asked professionally. Her first thought was to send this guy to the front desk at the front of the hospital, but she thought that might confuse him more. She decided to see if she could help him.

"I'm supposed to be following nurses all afternoon. I'm a fourth-year medical student, but new to Central City," he replied, and Caitlin nodded.

"Where are you from?" Caitlin asked curiously.

"Starling City," he said, and she smiled.

"Have a cousin who lives there," she replied, before opening her bag of pretzels.

"Were you supposed to be in the morning group?" Caitlin asked, but Barry shook his head.

"No. A, uhm," he looked at his schedule. "Doctor Wells told me to come for the afternoon group on my first day."

"Oh, I work with Doctor Wells, too. Our shift starts in an hour," she said, and he visibly relaxed.

"Thank God," he breathed out. "I'm never on time for anything."

Caitlin chuckled. "Med school should change that and if not, Dr. Wells surely will."

He chuckled, too, and sat down next to her.

"I didn't get your name," he said a moment later.

"Caitlin Snow," she replied, taking a sip of her coffee. She sent him a quick smile before jerking her head to her notebook and books, indicating that she was about to study. He got the hint and didn't bother her until her hour was up. She closed all her stuff, tucked it back into her locker, and drained her coffee.

"C'mon, we need to go this way," she said, jerking her head to the left of her. Barry followed her, tripping over his feet. She led him all the way down a hall and paused right outside a room.

"Dr. Wells is in there, and he'll tell us who we'll be shadowing," she said, before walking into the room.

"Ah, Ms. Snow," Dr. Wells greeted her, and she smiled.

"This is Barry Allen," she supplied, and Wells smiled.

"Mr. Allen, glad to see you found the place okay," he replied. Soon enough, Wells was indicating that they should be following Nurse Iris West. When they were dismissed, they went and found her, and followed her around for the duration of the afternoon, helping and taking notes as they saw fit.

At long last, the day came to an end, and she met back up with Hartley and Cisco in the breakroom.

"Guys, this is Barry. Barry, meet Hartley and Cisco," she introduced, and the three guys nodded at each other. Barry picked up his stuff, slung it over his shoulder, and smiled at Caitlin.

"Well, I'll be seeing you then," he said, and she smiled.

"I'll be seeing you," she replied, and he walked off.

XXX

Barry Allen soon became a permanent fixture in her life. He was there to help her keep her head afloat during the rough waters. He helped her study, often choosing to join her, Hartley, and Cisco for their many study nights. When her other two friends had shifts and she didn't, she'd meet up with Barry for a late breakfast. She learned about him.

"My father is a doctor, so it's only natural that I wanted to be one," he said one afternoon, and Caitlin smiled.

"I'm the first person in my family to go to medical school. My dad is overly excited about that," she laughed, and Barry smiled warmly.

"Nah, I'm sure he is just proud," he countered. She smiled at that thought.

XXX

When they went on their first date, she felt safe. Something that hadn't been an occurrence in her life since Ronnie had died. They ended up staying late that night, and he listened while she carefully shared her heart. In turn, he carefully stitched together her wounds with his love. She wasn't quite sure how she knew it, she just did, but she knew that she'd be alright. And, she was right. She was alright.

Author's note: AU prompt I had for myself. I'm tossing around the idea of making this an AU series, so if you'd like to see them at medical school, or have any prompts to go with this one, let me know in the comments. If you have any other prompts as well, feel free to let me know about those as well. Xxx


	48. Chapter 48

Caitlin and Barry had been roommates for going on three years and they trusted each other inexplicably. When Caitlin had put an ad in the newspaper, asking for a roommate, she wasn't sure what to expect. She didn't want a bunch of random people asking to room with her and was a bit hesitant when she had an offer from Barry Allen. She had refused to accept his offer until they met in person, something he wholeheartedly agreed to, as well. When they met, they seemed to get along right off the bat. He was dorky, much like her. And his outgoing personality was a nice contrast to her introverted self; they worked well together.

They had their issues, as well. She'd have to remind him to do laundry and to not leave his toothpaste open, and he'd have to remind her to lighten up a bit, and not take life so seriously. But, apart from that, things ran smoothly at their apartment. She was grateful. He also introduced her to his friend, Cisco, and she introduced him to her friend, Hartley, and the four of them spent many a night staying up late, watching Netflix and eating pizza. It was a nice match.

One evening, Caitlin was getting ready to go on a date with a guy named Tony Woodward. Barry knocked on her door and popped his head into her room when she gave him the go ahead.

"Where are you and Tony going again?" Barry asked, and Caitlin looked up from her mirror where she had been critically eyeing her appearance and met Barry's gaze.

"For coffee at Jitters," she replied, and he nodded.

"If you need me to come get you from a date gone bad, just text me," he encouraged, and she chuckled.

"We've been roommates for three years now, Barry. I know how the dating game works," she replied warmly, and he smile.

"Yeah, well, your last few dates haven't been all that great," he laughed, and she rolled her eyes.

"No need to tell me," she muttered, going back to staring at her reflection. Michael had been a nightmare. She had never met anyone who talked more about themselves than him. His ego was so inflated, she was surprised he had managed to get inside the restaurant. Then, there was Drew. He was nice enough but had wanted to move at pace way too fast and uncomfortable for Caitlin. She had just ended things with Ronnie and wasn't looking for that type of seriousness. She had to use Barry as an excuse to get out of both dates.

"Are the guys still coming over tonight?" Caitlin asked, after finally tearing her eyes away from her reflection. Barry nodded.

"Yeah, we're just going to hang around here, order some pizza or something," he replied, and she hummed.

"Sounds fun," she agreed, and he shrugged.

"Just another typical night," he said, and she left it at that. She walked over to her closet and grabbed a sweater. While the days had warmed up considerably, the nights were still chilly enough to have an extra layer of clothing. She added her converse and applied a final layer of lip gloss.

"I think I'm ready," she stated, and Barry nodded.

"You look good, Cait," he said, and she grinned.

"Thanks," she replied, and they both headed out of her room and into the living room.

"Is he picking you up?" Barry asked, and she shook her head.

"I agreed to meet him there," she replied, and Barry sighed.

"Whoever said chivalry isn't dead clearly hasn't met your past few dates," he muttered, and she chuckled.

"At least, I have a car to get into if things get awkward," she said, and he thought that through before smiling slightly.

"That's okay then," he agreed. Caitlin chanced a glance at her watch before looking up at Barry.

"Time to get the show on the road," she said, and he nodded.

"Have fun, and if it gets awkward, either call me or just leave," he reminded her, and she nodded.

"I know," she replied. They left it at that as she checked her purse to make sure she had everything she needed. One more look around the apartment, and she was ready.

"See you later," she murmured.

"Bye," he grinned, and she left.

XXX

Caitlin returned an hour later. She walked into the apartment and threw her purse down on the couch in a huff. All three of her friends looked up from their show and looked at her.

"Date that bad?" Hartley asked, and she rolled her eyes.

"What's with every guy being so moronic they're like a caveman?" Caitlin snapped, folding her arms and sitting down on the couch. Hartley winced.

"What happened?" Barry asked, and she sighed.

"Apart from the fact that he wanted me to pay for everything, which, isn't that bad, because hashtag feminism, he wanted to solely talk about himself. He didn't ask a single question about myself, and then had the audacity to demand to come back to my place," she muttered, and Barry rolled his eyes.

"Like hell he would," he replied, and they shared a chuckle.

"Yeah, that's what I said," she said.

"Well, there's some pizza I can heat up for you," Hartley said, and she smiled.

"That'd be great, thanks Hartley," she replied. When Hartley went to go heat up the pizza, Caitlin directed her attention to the tv and the show that was paused.

"A documentary?" Caitlin asked with interest, and Cisco nodded.

"Yeah, you got us into them," he replied, and she smiled.

"Using my powers for good," she mused, and they shared a laugh. When Hartley came back with her pizza, she accepted it gratefully, and they returned their attention back to the documentary. Maybe her night wasn't going to end on a sour note after all.

XXX

A few weeks passed, and Caitlin found herself dodging dates. She had offers from plenty of guys who seemed interesting, but she just didn't have the heart to go out with them. Instead, hung out in her apartment with Barry and their friends. When Hartley and Cisco were busy, it was just Barry and Caitlin. He had gotten a lot better at doing the laundry, and she had loosened up considerably. It was working out quite nicely.

One morning, she woke up with itchy eyes and a burning throat. Coughing, she stumbled into the kitchen, on a desperate hunt for coffee. Barry was already awake and making the pot.

"Morning," he murmured.

"Morning," she croaked, voice sounding hoarse and like there was a frog in it. He looked at her.

"You sick?" Barry asked in concern, and she sighed.

"Not feeling the best," she replied. "But, coffee should help."

Barry chuckled.

"Go back to bed, and I'll bring you your cup," he stated, and she looked at him gratefully.

"That'd be great, thanks Barry," she replied, before walking back to her bedroom, and climbing into bed. She snuggled underneath her covers, making sure she didn't get a chill. Barry walked in only a few minutes later.

"Coffee," he said, and she sighed happily.

"Thanks," she said, and accepted the cup he offered her. He sat down on her bed as she took a sip.

"You headed to work today?" Barry asked, and she thought about it. Caitlin worked two jobs: part time at a library, and full time as a nurse at their local doctor's office. Sighing, she shook her head.

"No, I might be contagious and don't want to get any of the patients sick," she replied, and he nodded.

"Smart move," he agreed. After calling in sick, he left to get her another cup of coffee.

"I'm off today, too, so I'll just hang out here with you," he said, sitting back down on her bed. She took another sip.

"If you'd rather go out with Hartley and Cisco, I understand. I'm probably just going to be sleeping and reading all day," she murmured, but he shook his head.

"No, need to make sure you actually have something more than coffee in your system," he said, and she laughed hoarsely; trust him to make sure she ate.

"Thanks," she agreed, and he hummed.

XXX

Barry helped her out all day. First, it was making sure she had some toast and then medication. Then, it was soup for lunch and another round of medication, then leaving her to sleep. After a couple of days in bed and Barry's constant mother hen like behavior, Caitlin finally felt well again. She was also touched at his need to make sure she was well.

"Thanks for looking after me these past couple of days," she greeted him when she was feeling better. He placed a hand against her forehead.

"No fever," he replied, and she nodded.

"I feel much better," she agreed, and he smiled.

"Coffee's ready," was all he said. After she had her to go cup ready, she left, heading to the doctor's office she worked at.

Once there, she bumped into Hartley, who was a nurse as well.

"Feeling better?" Hartley greeted her, and she nodded.

"Much," she agreed. "Barry helped with that."

There was a knowing look in Hartley's eyes.

"What?" Caitlin asked, curious as to why he looked like that. He shrugged.

"Nothing," he replied, and she frowned.

"No, seriously, what's with the look?" Caitlin persisted.

"I just think it's funny that Barry acts as a better guy towards you and you two aren't even dating," he said, and Caitlin looked at him.

"We're roommates," she replied, and Hartley nodded.

"I know, and he's better than all the jerks you've been dating. Think about it," he replied, before walking off, and leaving her to her thoughts. Caitlin spent all day helping with patients, prepping them to see different doctors. She was also acutely aware of what Hartley had said, thinking about his words. Barry was nicer to her than all the guys she dated; treated her with respect. Weren't friends supposed to be like that, though? That didn't explain the fact that he took such good care of her while she was sick. Weren't friends also supposed to be like that? Head weighed down with all the thoughts, she clocked out absentmindedly at the end of her shift and drove home.

Barry was already home when she got there.

"Hey," he greeted her, and she headed towards him.

"I want to try something," she murmured, and he nodded.

"Okay," he said simply. She looked at him for a moment longer, before brushing her lips across his. He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close. She felt the kiss in the tips of her toes, warming her from the inside out. When they pulled apart, he pressed his forehead against hers'.

"Caitlin, what the hell took you so long?" Barry whispered, and she grinned.

"Call me an idiot," she murmured, and he stole one more kiss.

"Idiot," he said, and she laughed.

She wasn't sure where they were going to go from here, but it could only be better than what she was leaving behind, and that was good enough for her.

Author's note: Roommate AU prompt. Hope you like! Xxx


	49. Chapter 49

Caitlin had been a middle school teacher for most of her adult life. She had graduated high school early, got accepted into college on a full scholarship, and graduated from there early as well. She knew that she had always wanted to be a teacher. To be able to instill knowledge into a student and watch them learn and grow over the course of their education was pure magic to Caitlin. She adored her seventh graders and enjoyed teaching them History. There was something wonderful about teaching a subject she had been passionate about since she was able to read.

Most of Caitlin's students were well behaved and civilized in class. Teaching a generation that relied on their iPhones to give them the information they were seeking was no easy feat, but she managed. One student, Charlotte Allen, was Caitlin's favorite student, (if, you know, she could choose favorites). She always came to class with not only the assigned homework completed, but also all the extra credit questions Caitlin offered. She aced all her tests, and her essays were a force to be reckoned with. Charlotte was, without a doubt, an exceptionally bright student and quick learner. Caitlin, whom often talked with her other coworkers about her students, was less than surprised to find out Charlotte was doing well in all her other classes. And, they were all advanced for the twelve-year-old.

One afternoon found Caitlin preparing for her first round of parent/teacher conferences. Usually, these went well. None of her students raised too much of a concern for Caitlin; they passed her tests, and she made sure they understood the subject material required to move onto the next grade. The parents liked her, and she them. She had yet to meet all her student's parents. That was what tonight was about: meeting the rest of them. Consulting her list, she realized she had Jane, Tommy, Charlotte, and Andy's parents to meet. Sighing, she knew it'd be a long night.

XXX

As the night ended, Caitlin checked her list. Just Charlotte's parents left. She was exceptionally excited about meeting them, knowing she had nothing but positive reviews for Charlotte. Just then, there was a light knock on her door, and she looked up. She spotted a tall, lanky man with strikingly green eyes hovering in the entrance of her door. She stood up and smiled warmly.

"Are you Mr. Allen?" Caitlin asked, and he nodded his head.

"Barry," he said, and she tilted her head towards the chair that was seated across from her desk.

"Come on in," she said, and Barry walked in, tripping slightly over his feet. Caitlin coughed into her elbow to suppress the gentle smile that wanted to stretch itself across her lips. Barry sat down in the chair, cheeks tinted red.

"Sorry," he mumbled, but she smiled kindly.

"I can see where Charlotte get's her grace from," she teased, and Barry laughed.

"Yeah, unfortunately," he replied. Caitlin straightened up her notes, patting them into order before taking a sip of her rather cold tea.

"So, am I the last teacher for you to see tonight?" Caitlin asked curiously, and Barry nodded.

"Yes, and I'm hoping this session is as good as all the other ones," he said, and Caitlin smiled warmly.

"Better, probably," she replied, and Barry smiled.

"Good, that's good," Barry commented. Caitlin looked at her notes, then set them to the side.

"What I really wanted to discuss was Charlotte's ability to learn information and retain it. She's a very gifted student when it comes to thinking both logically and outside of the box. She's my number on test taker," Caitlin praised, noting the pride radiating in Barry's smile. She could understand a bit of that; she too, was proud of her students who put in the effort and excelled in her classes.

"You and Ms. Allen must be very proud," Caitlin added. A frown washed over his face that immediately had Caitlin backtracking.

"Or, if it's just you, that's fine too. My point is you should be proud of Charlotte," she said, and Barry shook his head slightly.

"I'm unbelievably proud of her, but it's just the two of us. Her…her mom didn't want to be in the picture too long after she was born. She walked out of her life about eleven years ago and didn't look back," he muttered, and Caitlin mirrored his frown. She understood about a parent not being interested in their kid's life a little too well. Caitlin sighed.

"Well, if it's any consolation, I think you're doing a great job with her. Not many people can say they're maintaining a 4.0 while being in honors and all the clubs she's active in. President in some of them, I believe," Caitlin commented, and again, there was that blinding smile on his face. Caitlin found herself thinking how much younger it made him look. Almost…attractive. She shook herself free of the thoughts. The last thing she needed was to find one of her student's dad attractive. She was lonely, but not that lonely.

The rest of the meeting passed quickly, leaving Caitlin to suddenly glance at her watch.

"We were supposed to be done half an hour ago," she noted in surprise.

"Oh, wow," Barry murmured, standing up. "Sorry I kept you so late. You must be exhausted."

Caitlin shrugged.

"Nothing new to a teacher," she assured him kindly. She stood up, shutting away all her stuff, and pulling her planner out of the bottom drawer of her desk. Barry shifted around on the balls of his feet.

"Can I walk you out, Ms. Snow?" Barry asked, and she felt herself laugh.

"Ms. Snow was my mother. Caitlin is fine," she remarked, before nodding her head. They walked out of the building and into the wintry night. Snow was falling gently, and Caitlin wondered if they were going to have a snow day soon.

"School might be closed soon," Barry said, hands shoved inside his coat pockets. Caitlin hummed.

"With the way the snow is falling, it might be closed for a couple of days," she agreed. He walked her all the way to her car, and they paused.

"Well, this is where I leave you," Caitlin said, suddenly unsure of why there felt like what was butterflies beating around in her stomach. Barry bit his lip, looking down and then back up at her.

"Caitlin, forgive me if this is forward, but can I get your number? In case I have any questions about Charlotte?" Barry asked, and she nodded. She grabbed her pen and ripped out a piece of paper off her notepad.

"Here's my classroom number. Call anytime between noon and one, my lunch, or anytime after four," she said, handing him the paper. He tucked it away, before looking at her.

"And, what about your cell?" Barry asked softly, and she blinked. Relationships weren't prohibited between teachers and parents, but they were warned to be cautioned against. Thinking for a moment, she pulled out her cell phone.

"Give me yours' and I'll shoot you a text," she said. He did just that and, once she had it, she texted him.

"There you go," she said, smiling. He returned it.

"I'll be seeing you around then, Mr. Allen," she said, before getting in her car and driving off.

XXX

It took Barry three weeks to work up the courage to ask her on a date, but after their first date, everything fell into place. Suddenly, the nights she was up late grading tests with were filled with his company and Chinese food. Her Saturday afternoons were filled with coffee and bookstores; her Sunday's the park and lunch. Their first kiss was as gentle as she imagined it to be, and Charlotte seemed happy that her father was dating one of (if not her only) favorite teachers.

The best bit? Caitlin didn't let her relationship get in the way of her being a good teacher. Her students still passed her class and passed it well. All was as it should be.

Author's note: Short teacher AU I had for myself. Prompts accepted in the comments. Xxx


	50. Chapter 50

Killer Frost had never imagined she'd find someone who balanced out her iciness but here she was, with Savitar. The man who understood her better than anyone had ever tried to. Better than she understood herself. The man she was thinking about peered his head into the room she was in off to the side of his labs.

"Frost," he murmured, and she turned towards him.

"Sav," she replied, and he brushed his lips against hers'. It never failed to amaze her how much she warmed up whenever their lips touched. She smirked into the kiss, laughing lightly as Savitar brushed his lips over every inch of her face: cheeks, brow, chin, nose, and finally landing on her forehead.

"Aren't we in a good mood," Killer Frost mused, and enjoyed the way Savitar barked his laughter out of his chest. It seemed to travel all the way through him.

"What can I say, Frost? You make me feel…. lighter, happier," he replied, and she snorted.

"Don't go soft on me now," she teased. He kissed her brow once more before pulling away from her.

"C'mon, Frost, let's go see what our favorite superheroes are doing," he said, and she smirked.

"Wonderful," she replied, allowing herself to be picked up. She wrapped her arms around Savitar's neck and held on. The pace they moved at was always an adrenalin rush, one that never got old. Soon enough, he had run them to Star Labs, and they were standing on the outside of it. Instead of going inside, Barry seemed to anticipate their arrival, because he came flashing out of the labs and skidded to a stop. Killer Frost looked at him, and he her. She often wondered what her doppelganger saw in him; the appeal was lacking for her. She smirked at Barry.

"Flash," she called, and Barry eased his way to her. Savitar looked like his was about to try and place himself in between them, but Killer Frost held up a hand.

"Don't protect me," she said softly, eyeing Barry. Barry eyed her in return.

"What do you want, Flash?" Frost hissed, eyes flashing; voice echoing.

"I want Caitlin back," he replied calmly, and Killer Frost smiled. It was anything but pleasant.

"But, I'm having so much fun with her," she said. She knew her eyes were flashing that icy blue they usually took on when she was in full Killer Frost mode; knew that Barry was desperate to find any part of Caitlin. But, Killer Frost had her locked away to where even he couldn't reach her. He still stepped forward.

"Please, Frost, I'm begging you: let my friend go. She's innocent," Barry implored lowly, and Killer Frost looked at him. She supposed she could see what Caitlin saw in him, if she looked hard enough. He was too nice for her though; too sweet. He'd give her a toothache. She glanced back at Savitar, who was watching the scene unfold before him with an unfathomable expression; she wondered what he was thinking. Shrugging, she looked back at Barry.

"I don't think so," she sang, smirking. "Caitlin isn't going to be freed anytime soon."

"Please," Barry said, easing his way towards her. He placed his hands on her shoulders, and Frost fought down the impulse to blast him with her powers. "Please. Let Caitlin come home."

Something odd was happening to Killer Frost. She could feel her coldness receding. She looked at Barry for a long moment, feeling warmth washing over her.

"That's it," he whispered encouragingly. "Let Caitlin come back."

"Barry?" Caitlin whispered, blinking at her surroundings. It had been a long time since she had seen Star Labs.

"Caitlin," Barry breathed, pulling her into his arms.

"Help me stop her," she whispered in a panic.

"Shh, it's okay," he said softly. Caitlin nodded. She didn't know how long it'd be until Frost emerged again and she had a couple of things to say. If not now, she didn't know when.

"I love you," she whispered, burying her face into the crook of his neck He rubbed a soothing hand up her back.

"I love you too," he murmured. She inhaled shakily.

"Barry," she began, pulling out of his embrace.

"What is it? What's wrong?" Barry asked, frown settling into his features. Caitlin felt the coldness start seeping into her bones again, demanding to creep through her fingertips. She blinked.

"Well, Flash," Frost said coolly, noting the look on Savitar's face. She couldn't be certain of course, but it looked like disappointment. "As fun as this has been, I think that's our cue to go."

"You know, I could lock you in the pipeline," Barry said lowly. "Force you to free Caitlin."

"I don't think so, hero," Savitar snapped. Killer Frost blinked, watching as he sped around them. One moment Barry was standing next to her, next he was flying across the pavement, skidding to a stop several feet away from them. Killer Frost smirked.

"See you around, Flash," Frost called joyously. Savitar wasn't gentle when picking her up, and she huffed.

"Easy, Sav," she implored but he shook his head.

"Let's go Killer Frost," he snapped, and for the first time, Killer Frost was reassessing the situation. She knew Caitlin had come out for a bit, but just exactly what she had said was unknown to her. Not having time to wonder, she tucked her head into Savitar's chest, and they were off, at a breakneck speed.

XXX

By the time they got back to his place, Killer Frost could tell Savitar was in a foul mood. Sighing, she balanced herself on her feet once he placed her down and walked away.

"Something on your mind, pumpkin?" Killer Frost asked curiously, unsure as to how she was supposed to ask him if everything was alright; Caitlin had the bedside manner, not her.

"Nothing," Savitar snapped, and Killer Frost watched as he paced the floor. Sighing, she made her way over to him and stilled him with a touch of her hand. He stopped his pacing and looked at her.

"What?" Savitar asked lowly, and Killer Frost stared at him.

"Something happened at Star Labs, didn't it? When Caitlin came out to play?" Killer Frost asked carefully, deciding to tread lightly. Savitar shrugged.

"Nothing. Besides your doppelganger breaking free and telling the Flash she loved him. I thought you had control on that?" Savitar hissed, and Killer Frost chuckled.

"You're jealous!" Killer Frost trilled, and Savitar narrowed his eyes.

"I am not," he dismissed, but Killer Frost was smarter than he sometimes gave her credit for.

"Sav, it's written all over your face: you're jealous," she laughed, bending over her hips, clutching her stomach.

"It's not that funny," Savitar said petulantly. "You don't have to laugh that hard."

Killer Frost continued to laugh.

"Savitar, don't you know that whatever our dear Caitlin may feel for the Flash does not, without a doubt, reflect anything I feel for him?" Killer Frost asked as her laughter died down. Savitar stared at her.

"Really?" Savitar asked softly, and she nodded. She walked over to him and placed a cool kiss against his cheek.

"Really," she said earnestly, and that was enough to ease the tension that had appeared in his features.

"Now, come on, enough moping. I'm back, I love you, not the Flash, and we have things to do today," she murmured into his ear. His smirk was enough to tell her she had said the right thing.

"What are you waiting for, Frost?" Savitar asked, and it was her turn to smirk. Then, quicker than a blink, they were off, ready to see how much fun they could have.

Author's note: Prompt for a friend! Hope you like it! Prompts accepted in the comments Also, other updates to come.. Xxx


	51. Chapter 51

This will be an AU off season three finale.

Caitlin didn't know where she was headed, she just knew she needed to get away and get away fast. Everything about Star Labs reminded her of happier times, before everything went to Hell in a handbasket. Sighing, she drove away from Star Labs, refusing to watch it shrink in her rearview mirror until it was nothing more than a speck in the distance.

As she drove, she thought over everything that had happened when Killer Frost had taken over and joined forces with Savitar. She knew that while the good guys had won, while Savitar had not actually ended up harming Iris or Barry, Caitlin still couldn't face them. Her alter ego had helped kidnapped Iris; had partook in the plan to hurt her. Sighing, she scrubbed the back of her hand across her face fiercely, wiping off the traitorous tears that were spilling down her face.

She didn't have anybody to be with now. She chose to turn her back on her friends to find herself again, and she had to live with the consequences of that. Sighing, she pulled into her apartment complex, and drove to her side. Once she was out of her car, she made her way into her building, saying a quick hello to Peter, the doorman. As her feet carried her up the stairs to her floor, she felt exhaustion settling in on her bones, and thought longingly of a hot shower and a cup of tea.

By the time she had reached her hallway, her steps slowed considerably as she stared at her door. It had been a long time since she was at her apartment, but she was almost certain that she had left the door shut the last time she was there. Taking a steadying breath, she gripped her purse tighter, and eased into her apartment. Looking around, she noticed every light was off, and she hurried to turn one on, feeing a bit safer with light on her side.

"Hello, Caitlin," came a soft voice, and Caitlin screamed. A hand clamped down tightly over her mouth.

"Hush, before you wake the neighbors," the same voice said, and Caitlin's mind was working furiously fast to place it. The hand was removed.

"Barry?" Caitlin whispered, unsure if she should turn around. What was Barry doing here? She had explicitly said she wanted to be left alone.

"Not quite," he said, and Caitlin suddenly understood.

"Savitar.' Caitlin said.

Savitar stepped out in front of her, and she willed herself not to tremble.

"You look different when your eyes are brown," he commented idly, and she stared at him.

"What do you want?" Caitlin demanded, feeling far less brave than she sounded. Here she was, alone in her apartment, with a speedster who used her doppelganger to cause destruction with.

"A chat," Savitar replied, and Caitlin backed up until she was pressed against the wall. She stared around, looking for either a way out or something to defend herself with. Savitar chuckled lowly.

"I wouldn't dear," he murmured. "I'm faster than even you can comprehend."

She nodded, staring at him.

"A chat about what?" Caitlin asked as calmly as she could. Savitar stared at her for a long moment, eyes flickering across her face, before he nodded.

"So, you guys clearly decided to let me live," he murmured, and Caitlin found herself staring at his shadowed face, the side that was covered in scars. She traced the outline of his scars with her eyes, before flicking her eyes back to his.

"Take a picture, it lasts longer," he said dryly, and Caitlin licked her lips, suddenly nervous. She cleared her throat.

"I don't know why they chose to not at least lock you in the pipeline. It's probably because you and Killer Frost didn't end up harming Iris," she muttered, folding her arms across her chest. Savitar studied her.

"I think that's because Killer Frost decided to stop working alongside me," he said softly, and Caitlin shrugged.

"Well, she doesn't like feeling threatened, and you threatened her out on the field, she fought back," Caitlin replied, clenching her fists into her sides. She may be acting calm, but she was feeling anything but. She wasn't sure what he wanted with her; if he planned on walking out of her apartment after their talk. Savitar looked around at her apartment.

"Nice place," he commented. "Very…warm."

Caitlin rolled her eyes. "It's home."

"I'm not here to hurt you," he said casually, and Caitlin stared at him.

"Then why are you here?" Caitlin asked suspiciously. The last time she had trusted someone when they said they weren't going to hurt her had ended up kidnapping her. Zoom still caused her anxiety to this day.

"I'm here to say thank you," Savitar said lowly, and Caitlin blinked.

"I'm sorry?" Caitlin asked, confusion strong in her tone.

"I know it was really you who caused Killer Frost to go against me out on the field. If it hadn't been for you stopping me, I would have done something I may have ended up coming to regret," he muttered, and Caitlin stared at him.

"I may have hurt Barry or Iris or any of your other friends," he continued. "And, I think, I would have regretted that. After seeing my doppelganger in love and willing to do anything for the people he cared about, it caused a short flicker of hope inside of me. I tried to squash it down, of course, but, if it hadn't been for you stopping me, I wouldn't have even been given the opportunity to explore that feeling."

"And why did you get hopeful?" Caitlin asked carefully. Her heart wasn't beating as fast, but she still had reservations about being alone in her apartment with a meta human hell bent on destruction just hours prior. His sudden change of heart left little to be desired.

Savitar sighed. "I got hopeful because if Barry could get the happy ending, why couldn't I? Iris was even determined to see a bit of Barry in me."

"She's good at being trustworthy," Caitlin commented. Savitar nodded.

"So are you," he said, and she frowned.

"Killer Frost trusted me," he added, and her frown intensified.

"That's because you used the fact that you looked like somebody she recognized to your advantage. You took advantage of her much in the same way she took advantage of me," Caitlin muttered. Savitar sighed.

"You're making this whole, "I want to try and be a good person" thing really challenging, Caitlin. I'm trying to make amends for the way I treated Killer Frost, and the way I inadvertently treated you," he said. Caitlin stared at him, taking everything, he had said into consideration.

"Alright, apology accepted," she said eventually. "Can you leave now?"

He looked around one more time, before nodding.

"Yeah, I don't really wish to stay longer than I have to. This nice guy act isn't for me. But, I did want to say my apologies. And to thank you, for stopping me," he said, walking towards her door. Caitlin tucked into herself as much as she could, trying to make herself as small as possible while he passed her. He paused, with one hand on the doorknob.

"Who knows? Maybe I'll see you around, Caitlin," he said softly. Then, in a flash of electricity, he was gone, leaving Caitlin alone to her thoughts and a very empty apartment.

Author's note: Anon requested a prompt between Savitar and Caitlin. This was my take on it. Hope you like it! Prompts accepted in the comments. Xxx


	52. Chapter 52

Caitlin always knew there was a possibility that Killer Frost would resurface. That thought was always tucked away in the back of her mind, a constant loop of what if? What if she emerged? What if she was detrimental to the team? To Barry? To herself? The questions kept swirling around in her mind, leaving her on edge. She knew that technically, she had nothing to fear. Killer Frost and herself worked in sync almost every time Killer Frost emerged, but Caitlin was a perpetual anxiety driven person; she always had the nagging question of what if, what if, what if. So, to counter her endless cycle, Caitlin made sure she had a resolution. Tucked away deep inside her purse was a little bottle of pills. A quick handful of those, and she'd never have to worry about Killer Frost going bad again. Or, herself.

She often thought about what that would do to Barry. Her taking those pills. She knew he'd be crushed, but she hoped he'd ultimately understand that she didn't have any other choice. That she had to do what she had to do. And, then there was Cisco. Her best friend would be devastated, but she was banking on him understanding in much the same way she hoped Barry would understand. They had to. She had no other choice.

XXX

They were all at Star Labs, watching Barry target their latest meta. Caitlin patted her pill bottle inconspicuously, before redirecting her attention back to the computer monitors.

"Make a left, Barry," she instructed, watching his little dot blink its way across the screen.

"Got it," Barry called through the comms. The next thing she heard was a thump, hiss, and victory cry. Caitlin rolled her eyes at her boyfriend's antics.

"Did you have to knock him unconscious?" Caitlin asked dryly. There was a flash, and her hair flew around her. Blinking, she watched as Barry walked into the cortex, meta human slung over his shoulder.

"He wouldn't have come willingly," he replied, grinning. Caitlin waggled her finger at him.

"You have too much fun being the hero sometimes, you know that?" Caitlin asked. Barry flashed off, returned a millisecond later.

"I know," he said, cheeky grin still in place. Caitlin shook her head fondly. Sometimes, she felt like Barry used his powers just because he could. She wouldn't change it.

After they all debriefed, Barry and Caitlin headed out of the cortex.

"Italian and movie?" Barry asked, wrapping his fingers around hers'. She hummed happily.

"Sounds good," she murmured. They got into her car and made the short drive to the middle of the city, where her apartment was.

XXX

After they had ordered from one of their favorite restaurants, and picked which movie to watch on Netflix, they settled down onto the couch. As they ate, they divided their attention between the movie and talking. Sometimes, Caitlin reveled in the fact that they could live in their own little bubble, tucked away from the outside world.

About half way through the movie, Caitlin sneezed.

"Hand me a tissue, please," she said, and Barry reached to the side of him, grabbing a tissue out of her box on her stand. His hand hit her purse as he pulled it back into him, and it went tumbling down.

"Oh, I'll get that," Caitlin muttered, but Barry had stood up already.

"I got it," he replied.

"No, really, its-"Caitlin didn't get a chance to finish what she was saying: Barry was already picking up everything at a quick speed. He stopped a second later, staring down at something in his hand. Heart beating in her throat, Caitlin didn't have to work hard to find out what he was staring at.

"Caitlin, what the hell is this?" Barry asked, holding up her bottle of pills. Caitlin had always prided herself on having a least one answer to a question, no matter how difficult. That's why, for the life of her, she couldn't figure out why her brain had suddenly stopped working. She just stared dumbly at the bottle in his hand. He sat down next to her.

"Cait? Caitlin," Barry said, waving a hand in front of her face. She blinked.

"They're…Tylenol," she lied, but of course he saw right through that.

"Since when do Tylenol come in a prescription bottle?" Barry asked, and she bit her lip, unsure of what to say.

"How long have you had these?" Barry tried a different approach.

"About six months," she whispered.

"And, what are they for?" Barry asked carefully. Caitlin had the sense he knew, that he just wanted her to say it out loud. Inhaling shakily, she nodded her head slowly.

"They're…they're for if Killer Frost ever goes rogue again," she muttered, ducking her head down.

"So, they're an aid to help end your life?" Barry clarified quietly.

Caitlin couldn't get her jaw to work, so just nodded mutely.

Barry sat incredibly still for a long time, and she didn't dare to ask him what he was thinking, even if her mouth would work with her.

"Why?" Barry asked lowly, and Caitlin's heart stuttered.

"B-Because," she whispered.

"That's not an answer. "Because" doesn't justify this," he said, and Caitlin nodded.

"Because, it's imperative that Killer Frost is stopped if she goes rogue. Therefore, stopping me ensures she is stopped," she said.

"And the pipeline won't work because?" Barry asked, and Caitlin sighed, rubbing her forehead.

"Because, she'll convince you to let her out. And, you'll do it. You'll take one look at her, see me, and let her go. You're too good of a guy not to," Caitlin explained.

"And, do you think I'd still be a good guy if I let you get away with something as serious as this? We're talking about your life, Caitlin Snow," Barry said. Caitlin knew he was angry by how calmly he was talking. She wished he was shouting instead.

"I-I know that," she tried, but he interrupted her.

"Do you? Can you even begin to fathom the kind of dangerous road you're walking?" Barry asked lowly. She felt her heart constrict painfully inside her chest.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, looking down onto her hands that were resting in her lap. Barry tilted her head up until they were staring at each other.

"I'm going to go flush all of these, then I'm going to stay here indefinitely," he murmured, and she closed her eyes.

"I'm a big girl," she muttered.

"Too little, too late," he replied calmly, standing up and walking into her bathroom. She had half the urge to scream at him to get out. She heard the pills being flushed and gulped. She had to find a way to get some more. He walked back into the living room, and just stared at her.

"What?" Caitlin asked, fiddling with her thumbs.

He didn't say anything, just continued to stare at her. She felt something inside her break.

"Get out," she said quietly, feeling anger coursing through her.

He defied her. "No."

She stood up and rushed towards him, pushing on his chest.

"I said, get out!" Caitlin screamed. She shoved against his chest, hitting her open palms against the fabric of his shirt. He caught her wrists, and held them gently, though, with enough force to stop her from pushing him again.

"No," he said calmly, and she felt the onslaught of tears.

"You don't get it! You're the good guy! I'm not!" Caitlin screamed, and Barry wrapped his arms around her tightly. She initially fought the action, but he was stronger than her; she was cradled against his chest a moment later.

"Shh," he murmured, and she bunched up his shirt between her fingers, and wailed.

"Shh," he soothed over and over, and she felt the fight draining out of her. She just wanted to sleep and forget any of this had happened. He eased her back down onto the couch.

"Stay here a moment, baby," he said. "I'll be right back."

She hiccupped as he went and threw away all their trash, then came back and turned off the tv.

By the time he had gotten back to her side, the tears had stopped, and she was tired. So very, very tired.

He eased her up and wrapped an arm around her waist; she allowed herself to be guided to her bedroom. After changing, she crawled into bed, and he followed suit.

They laid there for several long moments, with the occasional sniffle from Caitlin. At long last, Barry spoke up.

"Here's what we're going to do: we're going to get you well again. That means mentally and emotionally. I don't want you to ever think that eliminating yourself is the option," he said softly. She was too tired to disagree with him, so just nodded her head.

"Then, we're going to have check ins every day on how you're doing and how you're managing your anxiety," he added.

"Okay," she whispered.

"And, you're never going to lie to me again about this. Do you hear me?" Barry asked quietly, and Caitlin nodded.

"I hear you," she mumbled. He wrapped his arm around her, pulling her into his chest tightly.

"Alright. Tomorrow, your check ins start, baby," he said, and again, she nodded.

"Alright," she murmured. They fell silent then. Barry eventually started humming and Caitlin felt herself drifting off into a peaceful slumber, anxiety far from mind. The last thing she heard was Barry's quiet  
"I love you". Smiling into his chest, Caitlin fell asleep, feeling safe.


	53. Chapter 53

Killer Frost was seventeen and in love with Barry Allen, better known as the flash. She had been in love with him since her freshman year and was too shy to do anything about it. Well, her alter ego was too shy to do anything about it and she respected that. So, Killer Frost just liked him from afar. Such as she was doing now, in Wells Physics class. Killer Frost alternated from taking notes to staring at him out of the corner of her eye. Out of her peripheral vision she could tell he was taking rapid notes and gave Wells his undivided attention. She liked the way he was a studious student; so was she. It was nice to have that in common.

When the bell rang, dismissing them, Killer Frost packed up all her stuff and made her way towards the door. Halfway there, she was stopped by someone stepping out in front of her. Blinking, she looked up and rolled her eyes.

"Woodward," she said, and Tony Woodward smirked.

"Frost," he acknowledged. She rolled her eyes again.

"How can I help you?" Killer Frost asked icily, adopting the cold exterior she knew that ran in her veins. While she had control over it, this was true, she could still utilize it when she needed to. Like when she didn't want to deal with Neanderthals, for example. Tony smirked.

"Just wondering if you thought anymore about the date I asked you to go on last week?" Tony asked, and she laughed.

"My answer was no then, and it hasn't changed now," she replied, smirking at him in turn. He frowned.

"C'mon Frost, don't be like that," he whispered, but she just smiled.

"No, that's exactly how I'll be," she replied sweetly. "I'm not interested Woodward, get that through your thick skull." With that, she pushed passed him, making her way into the hallway.

When she got to her locker, she spotted Vibe a few feet down, at his own locker.

"Hey, Vibe," she greeted him, and he grinned.

"Frost," he replied, shutting his locker and making his way towards her. They had been best friends for as long as she could remember. When she became Frost, he helped her through the transition, and she with him when he started getting vibes. There wasn't anything the two of them wouldn't do for each other.

"How was Wells' class?" Vibe asked, and Frost smiled.

"Good, up until Woodward asked me to reconsider going on a date with him," she replied.

"When will the idiot learn you're not interested?" Vibe muttered, and she laughed.

"I don't think anytime soon, unfortunately," she murmured, pulling out the History book she'd need for her homework. Just then, Frost felt her hair fly around her, and she blinked.

"What have the teachers said about using powers in the hallway, Flash?" Frost asked with a laugh.

"Oh, c;'mon Frost, live a little," he replied, and she huffed, fixing her hair as she did so.

"Sometimes, I think you just like using your powers because you can, man," Vibe greeted him, and Barry shrugged.

"You know me too well," he stated. Frost watched him, wondering what it was like to use both his real name and his super hero identity. She hadn't used the name Caitlin in a long time; not since she had first changed into Killer Frost. Sure, she still had some characteristics that belonged to Caitlin, such as being shy from time to time, but was mainly Frost now. Something that she liked.

She caught Vibe looking at her out of her peripheral and knew what he was thinking. He wanted her to talk to him. He knew about her crush. She shook her head slightly, indicating that she wasn't about to have a conversation, and he nodded once.

"You two coming to the track meet this Friday?" Flash asked curiously, and Vibe shrugged.

"Maybe, you going to use your powers to win the match again?" Vibe asked, eyebrow crooked. Flash sighed.

"That was one time," he replied. "And, you just can't let me forget it, can you?"

Killer Frost laughed to herself, busying herself with getting out the rest of her books she'd need to take home with her. She thought about going to the track meet; it might be fun. Heart hammering in her throat, she nodded her head.

"We'll be there," she promised, and Flash grinned.

"Great!" Flash enthused, and, cheeks tinting pink, she smiled. She knew she had done something right if his enthusiasm was anything to go by. He grinned once more with a quick, "see you then!" and strode away from them. Frost smiled softly at his retreating back, getting lost in her thoughts. It wasn't until someone cleared their throat did she blink, staring at Vibe who smirked like the cat who ate the canary.

"What?" Frost asked, and he shrugged.

"Nothing. You might want to control that stupidly big grin taking over your face," he replied, and she rolled her eyes.

"Shut up," she mumbled, shutting her locker and leaning against it.

"So, we're going to the meet?" Vibe asked, and she nodded.

"Yeah, might be fun," she said, and he grinned.

"I'm bringing Hartley," he replied, and she matched his grin.

"Ah, of course," she acknowledged, and he rolled his eyes.

"You have your crush, I have mine," he shrugged. She grinned.

"Fair enough," she replied, and they left it at that before heading out of the school.

XXX

Friday night rolled around and with it came the meet. Frost found herself in the company of Vibe and his crush. They were packed into the stands with the rest of the school. Frost was watching the runners stretch intently. More accurate, she was watching Flash stretch. He seemed to be in his element.

When the match started, she had a hard time tearing her eyes away from him. The way he ran was mesmerizing. It was smooth and quick, but not as quick as it was when he utilized his powers. He didn't need to utilize his powers tonight, she noted; he was ahead by three laps without any aid.

When he won the meet a few minutes later, she joined in with the rest of the crowd cheering. They made their way down the stands and towards the track team that was being congratulated by coach West. When he spotted them, Barry tore away from the group and made his way toward them.

"You guys came!" He greeted, and Frost smiled hesitantly.

"We said we'd be here," she replied, and he returned her smile. He pulled her to the side, leaving Hartley and Vibe to watch them curiously, before returning to their own conversation. Butterflies dancing in her stomach, she looked at him. He looked like he was choosing his words with care.

"We don't have a meet next week. What do you say about going to get dinner with me?" Flash asked, and she blinked.

"Like a date?" Frost asked carefully, heart beating pleasantly. He smiled softly.

"Yeah, like a date," he agreed, and she nodded her head.

"Sounds great," she murmured. Just then coach West called him back to the team. With a quick kiss to her cheek, he walked off, leaving her alone to her thoughts. Maybe this year wouldn't be so bad after all.

Author's note: Prompt about a super hero high school I got. I had a lot of fun writing this one. Hope you like it. Prompts accepted in the comments. I think I have one or two more to get to. Xxx


	54. Chapter 54

Caitlin wasn't in an abusive relationship, she wasn't. Her husband just didn't have a gentle way with words. If he felt like she wasn't doing something right, then he bluntly told her. He would also tell her in a raised voice, but she digressed. Her best friend hated him. He thought he wasn't good enough for Caitlin.

"When are you going to leave him?" Barry asked one day, after Caitlin had spent the past hour complaining about her relationship. She leveled him with a look.

"When you leave Emma," she replied matter-of-factly, knowing full well he wouldn't do that. Barry sighed.

"She doesn't make me cry the way Jeremy makes you cry," Barry pointed out, and Caitlin rolled her eyes.

"Jeremy doesn't make me cry. Much," she replied, closing that topic. "But that's not the point."

"What's the point then, Caitlin?" Barry asked amusedly, and she laughed a little herself.

"The point is, is that Emma isn't good enough for you. She doesn't even understand you," she murmured, sighing. She wished, not for the first time, that Barry could see what a catch he was, and that any girl would be lucky to have him. Barry shrugged.

"She understands me better than Jeremy understands you," he muttered, and she snorted. Then thought about his statement. She wasn't sure if she could refute his statement. Sighing, she nodded her head.

"We'll agree to disagree," she said, and he nodded, too, taking that statement for what it was worth. He leaned in and kissed her gently. She relished in the way it warmed her from head to toe. The other thing about being best friends with Barry Allen? They were in a secret relationship. It wasn't something Caitlin was proud of, not by a long shot. But, he understood her better than anyone; better than she understood herself sometimes. And, while that was thrilling, it also left her scared to death. Scared to be vulnerable in ways Jeremy told her she wasn't allowed to be. Sighing, she kissed him once more before standing up.

"I should go. Jere will be off in an hour," she murmured, and Barry rolled his eyes.

"Heaven forbid the guy's dinner is late," he muttered, standing up too. She shook her head.

"Don't, please," she said, and he looked at her.

"Alright," he replied, bending down and kissing her forehead gently; her eyes closed upon contact.

"I'll see you tomorrow, alright sweetheart?" Barry whispered, and she smiled. They always met up between three and five; it was the perfect time because Jeremy was still at work and Emma was working on her novel. She didn't even realize Barry was gone. Pulling her sweater on, she nodded her head.

"Of course," she agreed, before kissing him once more and walking out of his office. His office was in the back corner of his work building, right by the stairs, so she always snuck down them. She hadn't been spotted to this day, and they had been having this affair for six months. Everything was going according to plan.

XXX

By the time Caitlin got home, she had chewed several pieces of gum, to get rid of any lingering hint of Barry. She walked into her kitchen and started preparing dinner. She knew Jeremy, depending on his day, was going to want comfort food. So, she made him his favorite: chicken spaghetti. It was simple and always filled their home with a delicious smell. She just hoped he was in a good enough mood to enjoy it.

When Jeremy came home forty-five minutes later, she could tell he was in a bad mood by the way he slammed the door shut. Sighing, she painted a smile on her face and turned around expectantly. He walked into the kitchen only a moment later.

"Hey, Jere," she greeted him softly. He grunted as he kicked off his shoes.

"What's for dinner then?" Jeremy demanded, and she nodded her head a little.

"Chicken spaghetti; your favorite," she smiled encouragingly and watched as he wandered over to the stove.

"It's burnt, idiot," he muttered, and she didn't have to work hard to smell the whisky emanating from his breath. So, he stopped at the bar before coming home. Great. Swallowing her sigh, she looked at the spaghetti. It wasn't burnt. However, she knew better than to contradict him. Nodding, she smiled.

"I can make a new pot," she promised, but he was already shaking his head.

"Don't want to wait around for you to mess it up again. Just order me a pizza," he snapped, before walking out of the kitchen and going to his study, shutting the door. Caitlin knew he'd be busy drinking a generous amount of whisky until the pizza arrived. Sighing, Caitlin called their local pizzeria, ordering their usual from them. While she waited for it to be delivered, she got rid of the chicken spaghetti, preparing herself for what would undoubtedly be a long night.

XXX

"You know as well as I do that the spaghetti wasn't burnt," Barry said flatly, carding his fingers through her hair. She sighed from where she was wrapped around him and nodded her head.

"No, you're right. It wasn't. He just wanted something else to eat," she murmured, and Barry sighed in frustration.

"Quit making excuses for him, Caitlin," he said. It was Caitlin's turn to be frustrated.

"Quit making excuses for Emma, and I'll quit making excuses for Jere," she stated firmly. Barry smiled.

"I'm leaving Emma," he murmured, and Caitlin blinked.

"What?" Caitlin asked, certain that she had misheard. His grin widened.

"I said, I'm leaving Emma," he repeated.

"When was this decided?" Caitlin asked, shell shocked. Barry kissed her hand.

"Last night. I moved out and into the apartment I have," he murmured. Caitlin stared at him for a long moment.

"Why are you telling me this?" Caitlin asked finally. She watched as Barry frowned.

"Because, Cait, you can leave Jeremy now," he supplied. She shook her head, trying to get her thoughts in order.

"It's not that easy, Barry," she said, standing up. He stood up too.

"Yes, it is," he said, frowning. She returned it.

"What's easy about leaving my husband of four years?" Caitlin demanded, folding her arms.

"Because, we've been best friends for three of those years, and dating for the passed six months. I thought this was something you wanted," Barry said in confusion. She unfolded her arms and walk towards him; he automatically wrapped his arms around her.

"It is something I want, I promise. It's just, not something that can happen overnight," she replied softly.

"But, it can happen?" Barry checked, and she thought about it, nodding her head.

"Yes," she replied, and he kissed her gently.

"Good enough for me. I'll wait for you, Caitlin Snow," he murmured. She smiled, kissing him back.

"Always?" Caitlin asked, and he nodded.

"Always," he verified. That was enough to ease her worries and she left in good spirits.

XXX

By the time she had gotten home, she noticed Jeremey's car in the driveway: a rarity for him to be home before her. Gulping, she walked into their house, looking for him.

"Jere?" Caitlin called out and was startled by him pushing her up against the wall: she hadn't even noticed him walk into the hallway.

"Where the hell have you been?" Jeremy demanded, and she winced, rubbing at her shoulder.

"N-Nowhere," she stuttered, trying not to smell the sharp scent of alcohol on his breath. Jeremy rolled his eyes.

"Funny, I thought you were with Barry," he said lowly, and, heart in her throat, she looked at him.

"W-Why would you think that?" Caitlin whispered.

"Ran into Emma Allen. Very funny things she had to say to me, too," he murmured, and Caitlin bit her lip, but didn't say anything.

"You know her, and Allen got separated?" Jeremy asked. Caitlin just stood there.

"No point in lying to me, darling, I have the proof," he murmured. He pulled away from her and reached into his briefcase that was on the ground. She was terrified to watch him pull out what appeared to be photographs. On closer inspection, she realized they were photographs of Barry and Caitlin. They were getting food, at his office, at his spare apartment, wherever.

"How'd you get these?" Caitlin whispered, and Jeremy laughed.

"Emma got a little interested in why Barry spent all of his time at the office when he could've easily been working from home," Jeremy snarled. Caitlin's legs shook, but she was proud she was holding herself up. Squaring her shoulders, she looked at Jeremy haughtily.

"Well, I guess the charade is up," she said calmly, far calmer than she was a moment previously. He saw the pictures; no turning back now. Laughing a little, she shoved passed Jeremy.

"Get out," she said lowly, and he blinked.

"What?" Jeremy asked dumbly, and she shoved against him.

'I said, get out!" Caitlin shouted. Gone were the days where she was afraid of her husband.

"You're not good for me, you're not good for anybody!" Caitlin continued to shove against him. He must've been so surprised because he just let it happen. She got him out of the house and into the yard, before shutting the door and locking it quickly. She knew his keys were inside the house, and she'd change the locks as early as the next day. He pounded on the door.

"Let me in," he demanded, but she laughed.

"No," she called back, and ran up the stairs and to his chest of drawers in their bedroom. She marched over to the window and began dumping all his clothes out onto the driveway, laughing all the while. She knew that she must've looked like something else, as she was dumping his clothes out of her window, but she didn't care. It felt invigorating to be free of him.

"Free clothes!" Caitlin called out to her neighbors who were all watching her amusedly.

"Finally getting rid of Jeremy?" Charlie, her next-door neighbor, asked, and she nodded.

"Yes!" Caitlin replied enthusiastically. His grin mirrored hers'.

"About time," he called back.

Jeremy just stood there, too stunned to say anything. Barry came driving up just then and parked the car.

"Caitlin?" Barry called up, and she grinned.

"Barry, hey!" Caitlin called back and raced down the stairs. She opened the door to see him watching the scene bemusedly.

"What's going on?" Barry asked, and she walked outside.

"Kicking Jere out. We're getting a divorce," she smiled. Barry stood there, just staring at her.

"Are you serious, Cait?" Barry whispered, and she grinned.

"Absolutely," she replied. He laughed, and picked her up, spinning her around a little. Jeremy cleared his throat.

"Caitlin?" Jeremy asked weakly, and she looked at him.

"Go pick on someone your own size," she said quietly, before kissing Barry. He carried her in his arms into her house, kicking the door shut with his foot, and fumbling with the lock as he continued to kiss her.

When they came up for air, she smiled at him.

"It was always you, Barry," she murmured. He matched her grin and just kissed her.

Fin.

Author's note: Prompt I got about them having an affair and leaving their spouses. Here was my take on it. Hope you like it, friend! Prompts accepted in the comments. Xxx


	55. Chapter 55

Barry watched as Caitlin walked further and further away from him. Something, in the pit of his stomach, told him to go after her, that something bad would happen if he didn't. But, he stayed behind, watching her retreating form. He clearly spent too many days at the precinct if he thought something bad was going to happen to Caitlin. Then again, he argued with himself, she had been kidnapped too many times to count. Had been left traumatized by a madman. Had lost her parents, much like him. So, yes, bad things did seem to happen to her. It still wasn't enough to make him go after her. Something he'd come to regret in the morning.

XXX

It was seven am when he received a phone call. Without looking at the caller ID, he answered it.

"Hello?" Barry mumbled groggily, stifling a yawn as he blinked his eyes open.

"Barry? It's Cisco," Cisco's wavering voice came across the line, a voice that had Barry sitting up automatically.

"Cisco, what's wrong?" Barry demanded, recognizing that tone of voice. It was his, "there's something wrong, and I really don't want to tell you, but also need to tell you so you can fix it", voice. He'd recognize it anywhere.

"It's Caitlin," he began haltingly, and Barry grasped the phone tightly in his hand.

"Cisco, what about Caitlin?" Barry asked lowly.

"She never made it home last night," he muttered, and Barry didn't have to work hard to hear how shaky his voice was. A leaden stone dropped into his stomach and sat there uncomfortably. He knew, he knew that he should've gone after her.

"What do we know?" Barry asked, swinging his legs out of his bed and standing up. He paused, waiting impatiently for Cisco to fill him in.

"Her car was run off the road. By the looks of it, she got into a crash. We don't know if she's hurt obviously, but we do know it was right on the outskirts of town," Cisco said.

"Metahuman?" Barry hurriedly asked, slipping on a t-shirt.

"We think so. It looked like whoever ran her off the road could manipulate time," he murmured, and that caused Barry to stop.

"How do you know that?" Barry demanded, and Cisco sighed.

"Because, as soon as we reached the crime scene, it was like we were transported back to last night. We watched the scene happening, without being able to stop it," he muttered, and Barry tried to wrap his mind around the fact that there was a metahuman who could manipulate time and kidnapped his best friend. Although, lately, she was something more than that, if he was being honest with himself. Sighing, he rubbed a weary hand over his face.

"Was she scared?" Barry whispered, heart clenching uncomfortably.

"Not from what we could see. She fought as hard as she could," Cisco said, and that made Barry smile proudly. Of course, she would fight. He said as such.

After talking for a few more moments, Barry clicked off the phone and raced to Star Labs, where everyone was, even Joe. When he reached them, he took in the way they were all huddled close to each other.

"What do we know? Anything?" Barry asked, looking at each of them in turn, but particularly Cisco. It looked like he hadn't got any sleep whatsoever, and he wondered just when he had realized she didn't make it home. Did Cisco call him hours later? That didn't make sense. Pushing the thought to the side, he watched them expectantly.

"We, meaning Cisco, Harry, and myself, watched our meta manipulate time. He replayed the kidnapping and we saw firsthand the fight Caitlin put up. She didn't go down easily, and with any luck, once we find her, we'll have some DNA for the forensics team to work with," Joe said and, again, there was that flush of pride Barry felt at the fact that she fought. And fought hard. He nodded.

"Now, from what we could see, the meta brought her to a warehouse on the edge of town. Only problem is there are multiple warehouses, so we don't know which exact one houses her," Cisco piped up, and again, Barry nodded.

"It won't be difficult to run through them all," Barry said.

"It will if he can manipulate time, Allen," Harry commented. Barry looked at him.

"C'mon Allen, you're smart. You know that if he can manipulate time, then he can fast forward, rewind, and pause time. He could have you looking in the same warehouse a hundred different times and you wouldn't even be aware of it," Harry insisted. Sighing, Barry conceded.

"You're right. We're just going to have to figure a way around that particular trick," he muttered. Cisco nodded his head.

"Now, we know she was kidnapped sometime last night," he began, and Barry raised a hand.

"You guys know the exact time she was kidnapped?" Barry asked, and watched as Cisco shifted around on the balls of his feet uncomfortably.

"I, uh, may know an estimated time," he mumbled.

Barry raised his eyebrows. "Which is?"

"Seven hours ago," Cisco muttered, and Barry's heart stuttered in its rhythmic beating.

"Then why I was I only told twenty minutes ago?" Barry demanded incredulously, folding his arms. Cisco lowered his head, and Barry looked at the other people in the room.

"Well?" Barry demanded, when it seemed like no one would answer him. Harry sighed.

"Because, Allen, we were specifically told to not tell you until seven hours later," Harry explained, and Barry stared at him.

"What does that mean?" Barry asked. Harry pulled something out of his back pocket and passed it to Barry. Looking at him a moment longer, Barry flipped open the piece of paper, realizing it was a note. After reading it, he sighed.

"The guy is playing a game of cat and mouse with us," he muttered darkly, fist clenching. The note left explicit instructions that to find Caitlin alive, the Flash needed be told seven hours after the rest of the team arrived on the scene.

"We didn't want to jeopardize her life, man," Cisco said lowly. Barry nodded once, fist still clenched. Just then, Joe's phone rang. Stepping away from them, he answered it. After a couple of moments talking, he came back to the team, looking at Barry.

"That was Captain, we need to get to the precinct," he said.

"Why?" Barry asked, wishing to not be doing anything else besides looking for his friend.

"Looks like our meta left the next note," he replied, and that was all Barry needed to hear to get him and Joe out of there.

XXX

"Hickory, dickory, dock. To find the mouse, stop the clock," Barry read, eyebrows furrowing.

"Any clue what it means?" David Singh asked, and he sighed.

"An idea," he muttered.

"Who's the mouse? Caitlin?" Singh asked, and he nodded.

"Yes, and he's the cat," he replied, staring at the note.

He looked at Joe.

"We need to get to the warehouses," he said, and Joe hummed in agreement.

"Let's go," he said.

XXX

By the time they reached the warehouses, Barry was starting to feel like he was in a horror movie. Pictures of Caitlin littered every surface of the warehouse. Some were of her at Star Labs, others at her apartment. Barry got the gist of what they meant the same time Joe did.

"Our meta has been stalking her," Joe said lowly.

"Cat stalking its prey," Barry said darkly. "Let's see how much the cat likes being stalked."

Joe nodded, and they crept into the first warehouse. It was void of anything but more pictures of Caitlin. Not wishing for his friend's face to be covered on every inch possible, he sped around, taking down all the photos.

"Not in this warehouse, next," Barry said lowly. They continued into every warehouse they came across, with Barry taking down more, and more pictures. It wasn't until the fifth warehouse did they find Caitlin. Sitting in a cage.

"Caitlin?" Barry called, running to her. She blinked, staring at him, unresponsive.

"Caitlin, can you hear me?" Barry asked, looking for a way to vibrate through the cage to get her out.

"She can't hear you, Flash," came a voice and Barry looked up. There was a man, middle age, and shorter than him, making his way towards him.

"What'd you do to her?" Barry asked quietly, seething.

"Call me Anthony," Anthony said. "And, nothing much. Just a little shocking treatment."

Barry took a deep breath, willing himself to not lose his cool yet. He needed to know why this man was after Caitlin.

"What did you need her for?" Barry asked, and Anthony smiled.

"You're about to find out, Flash," he murmured. He raised his hands, and Barry watched the world speed around them. It was like a video rewinding, but all around him. Blinking, he watched as Anthony was dragging Caitlin into the warehouse. She seemed to be unconscious. He then fast forwarded the time, and Barry was staring at Anthony, watching him taunt Caitlin. When he got to the part of him shocking Caitlin, Barry held his hands up.

"That's enough," he said firmly. "I've seen enough."

Anthony smiled again.

Joe spoke up just then, surprising Barry; he had forgotten he was in the warehouse with him.

"What's with the cat and mouse game, Anthony?" Joe demanded, gun raised.

"Hickory, dickory, dock. To find the mouse, stop the clock," Anthony whispered, and Barry clenched his fist.

"We found her, didn't we? No need to stop the clock," he said lowly. Anything clapped his hands once, and suddenly the cage was buzzing with electricity. Barry's heart clenched.

"Don't do this," he begged, not caring for one minute how desperate he sounded. His best friend was in that cage. She had already been shocked enough.

"Stop the clock, Flash," Anthony whispered. He clapped his hands again, and suddenly the warehouse was filled with Caitlin's heart-wrenching screams. Barry stood frozen for a few seconds, watching as she shook with the shocks. Then he came back to life, and sped towards Anthony, getting ready to punch him. Or, fling him across the room. Whichever. He didn't anticipate for time to start moving again. Suddenly, it was dark, and Barry was outside. He looked around as he spotted a car driving towards him. Darting across to the other side of the street, he watched as Caitlin turned a corner, narrowly avoiding hitting him. He ran after her car, desperate to catch up with her.

It was only a few seconds later that he heard another car and looked around: Anthony was tailing her. Just as he got ready to flash to Anthony's car, the time changed again. It showed Caitlin in the cage, and he watched in horror as Anthony shocked her. Caitlin's screams were mixed with Barry's, and he covered his ears, desperate to not hear them.

"Had enough, Flash?" Anthony called out, and he blinked. He was back in the present moment, with Joe crouching down next to him where he was huddled on the floor.

"Make him stop, Joe," he whispered, feeling very much like the frightened ten-year-old kid he was when thunderstorms shook Joe's house. Joe helped him stand up on shaky legs, and Barry took a deep breath.

"How do I stop the clock, Anthony?" Barry asked lowly, feeling pure hatred radiating through him at the sight of the other man. Anthony clapped his hand and the shocking stopped. Barry cut his eyes to Caitlin, who was breathing heavily.

"All you have to do is tell the world who you are, Flash," Anthony whispered. "There are cameras taping this and it is being aired on live television."

Barry was thinking fast. He couldn't take off his hood, but he couldn't risk Caitlin getting hurt, too. Nodding once, he braced himself.

"Alright," he said lowly. He lifted his hands, getting ready to drop his hood. Just as he was about to lower it, another thought came to him. He had about two seconds to outsmart Anthony at his own game.

"Hickory, dickory, dock. To find the mouse, stop the clock," he muttered. He looked at Anthony, then Caitlin, suddenly understanding. He could stop the clock. Taking a deep breath, he darted towards Anthony, catching him completely by surprise and punching him squarely in the face. He flew back several feet, skidding to a stop away from Joe and Barry. It was all Barry needed. He raced to him.

"To stop the clock, stop the cat," Barry whispered, grinning. Anthony looked at him.

"But to save the mouse, stop the clock and the cat," he said, grinning in turn. Barry looked at him, anticipating his next move. Just as he got ready to clap again, Barry grabbed his hands, locking them in the cuffs that he always carried when out on a mission. Anthony sat there, staring at them.

"What'd you do to me?" Anthony cried, trying, and failing, to change the time. Barry grinned victoriously and stood up.

"You're the mouse now," he said. He ran over to Caitlin, as Joe ran towards Anthony. Caitlin was blinking and breathing raggedly.

"Easy there," he murmured, vibrating the door of the cage off its hinges. As soon as he did, he was reaching for her the same time she was reaching for him. He pulled her into the safety of his arms, scanning every inch of her for any other signs of injury. Once he found none, he looked at her face, noting how exhausted she looked.

"Let's get you home," he murmured, and she shook her head.

"Wait one second," she said hoarsely. He watched her as she stalked towards Anthony. Without so much as a moment's hesitation, she punched him squarely in the face and Barry heard the satisfying sound of his nose crunching.

"If I could, I'd rewind time a thousand times just, so I could do that again," Caitlin said, before walking back towards Barry.

"Flash, get me the hell out of here," she said, and he did just that.

XXX

By the time Harry looked her over and deemed her well enough to go back home, Barry flashed her to her apartment. They found themselves sitting in her living room, drinking tea.

"How are you doing?" Barry asked softly, and she shrugged a weary shoulder.

"Tired, and out of it, but nothing too unmanageable," she murmured, hands shaking slightly as she took another sip. He knew it was from the shocks, though. Caitlin was never scared, a rarity he hadn't found in anyone else. She was just mad as hell when she fell victim to another rogue meta human.

"I'm proud of you, you know that?" Barry said quietly, and she looked at him, eyes earnest.

"Why?" Caitlin whispered.

"Because, you didn't show any fear. Not last night, and not today, while Anthony was torturing you," he said softly, and Caitlin smiled slightly.

"Never let them win," she murmured. She looked at Barry and he her before they began to hesitantly move towards each other. When their lips locked, Barry felt himself soaring through the clouds. When they broke apart a few moments later for air, he pulled her gently into his chest.

"How do you feel about meta humans who don't torture you?" Barry asked quietly, and her melodious laughter was all he needed to hear to know they were going to be just fine.

Fin.

Author's note: I really don't know what this is -shrug; It's just a prompt I had and made it into my own oneshot. Prompts accepted in comments. I have a few to get to. Enjoy. Xxx


	56. Chapter 56

Caitlin Snow was dead. Or so, that's what everyone kept telling Barry Allen. They kept telling him Killer Frost had taken over six months ago and Caitlin wasn't coming back. Time to move on. But, he refused to believe that; refused to acknowledge their advice. Caitlin had never given up on him, he wasn't about to let her down. Not this time.

"Come on Flash, Frost's been spotted in the middle of the city. It's showtime," Harry said, and Barry broke out of his thoughts. He looked at Harry, then Cisco, who was suiting up as well. He nodded his head once.

"Alright," he said. "Follow my lead out there."

He stood up from where he had been resting on the floor and brushed off his suit. Pulling his hood up, he spotted Iris walking into the cortex, pointedly not looking at him.

"Vibe, don't forget, if Frost attacks, fight back," she said, and Barry felt his heart clench. He shook his head.

"No, we're not fighting her back. Caitlin is still in there," he said adamantly, and Iris sighed.

"Flash, Killer Frost has already cost you one relationship; do you really want to risk another?" Iris demanded, folding her arms across her chest. Barry didn't have to work hard to know she was referring to their broken relationship. He sighed.

"Iris, she's our friend and she need's help. We can't hurt her," he said quietly. Iris stared at him for a long moment, before looking at Cisco, who seemed resigned.

"Alright, your choice Flash," she muttered, before heading over to the monitors. She sat down behind them and Barry looked at Cisco expectantly. He nodded his head once and opened a breach, allowing them to run through it and transport themselves to the middle of the city. One look around told Barry all he needed to know: Frost was hell bent on destruction. Sighing, he eased his way towards her, stepping in her line of sight.

"Ah, Flash and co!" Killer Frost trilled in that icy voice of hers', unnerving Barry. He desperately longed to hear Caitlin's warm, gentle voice. The one she used whenever it was just the two of them and she was tending to his wounds after whatever idiotic decision out on the field caused him to get them. He missed her mother hen like scolding. He knew Frost didn't have an ounce of her characteristics in her, but he also knew Caitlin was still buried deep, trying to break free.

"Frost, stop this and let Caitlin come home," Barry called, and her eyes danced with amusement.

"But why would when I'm having so much fun?" Frost asked, throwing an icicle directly at his leg. He dodged it.

"Remember to play fair, Flash," Frost sang.

"I will when you will," he replied, dodging her next icicle thrown skillfully his way. He knew she was in her element, that she was just getting started. He also knew Caitlin was there, desperate to be freed. He thought through his next plan. Looking at Cisco once, making sure he wasn't in her direct line of sight, Barry sped around her, and ended up behind her, pulling Frost into his chest. He wrapped his arm around her neck and held her in place.

"What are you doing?" Frost hissed. "Let me go."

"No," he said simply, tightening his hold on her while she struggled. "Not until you let Caitlin go."

"Flash, what are you doing? She's dangerous!" Cisco shouted, but he shook his head, determined to not be deterred.

He placed his mouth next to her ear. "C'mon, Frost, let Caitlin go."

Frost laughed once. "She's not breaking free."

Barry knew she wasn't scared of him, that she could handle her own. So, he did the next best thing: he talked directly to Caitlin.

"Caitlin, it's Barry. If you can hear me, keep fighting. Fight like hell. We're going to get you free," he promised lowly, breath brushing over Killer Frost's face. She snarled and struggled in his vice grip, but Barry kept a tenacious hold on her, refusing to let her break free. He felt his arms growing numb from her coldness, but he was determined.

"C'mon Cait, come back to me," he whispered. He felt something wonderful start to happen: Killer Frost was starting to grow warmer.

"Stop it, Flash," she hissed, and for once, Barry heard the underlining fear in her tone and knew his plan was working, He held her tighter as she struggled to break free.

"Caitlin, I know you can hear me. I feel her getting warmer, which means you're close to breaking free. Come on," he said. She kept snarling, pulling against his arms, but he was adamant; Caitlin had to break free at some point.

"Stop..." Killer Frost said, voice growing weak. Out of nowhere, she collapsed, and it was all Barry could do to help lower her to the ground. He noticed Caitlin's brown hair and her deep, warm brown eyes staring at him tiredly.

"Barry?" Caitlin whispered, and he pushed her hair away from her face.

"Hi, sweetheart," he murmured, low enough only she could hear. She stared at him, then took in her surroundings.

"Get my bracelet back on me," she said lowly, understanding the gist of what had happened.

"With pleasure," Barry promised, helping her stand up. She was weak and shaky on her own legs, and he wrapped a secure arm around her waist, helping guide her to Cisco; he ran to meet them half way, pulling her other arm around his shoulder.

"We're getting you home," Cisco promised, and she nodded tiredly. Barry kept guiding her forward, keeping a firm hold on her should she decide to topple over.

Cisco opened a breach and they were darting through it, appearing back in Star Labs a moment later. Making sure Cisco had a secure grip on her, Barry flashed off, grabbing her bracelet from where he kept it in a spare bag. He flashed back into the cortex a moment later, wrapping it securely around her wrist. She blinked, looking at him and then her wrist.

"Thank you," she murmured, hands shaking. He watched as she tried to still them by tucking them tightly into her ribcage. She seemed so small, with the way she held herself. Shying away from everyone. Barry looked at Iris who was watching her in concern.

"Good to have you back, Cait," she murmured, and the other woman nodded her head once, small smile on her lips.

"Thanks," she murmured. "If you don't mind, I really just want to go home."

Barry looked at Harry who was walking towards her.

"You will, after I look you over Snow," he replied, and she nodded with a resigned sigh, and sat down on the bed in the bay. Barry watched him run all the tests she usually ran and felt his heart bleed. He should've been able to stop this from happening in the first place. He should've done more.

"A little weak and tired, but with some sleep and rest, you'll make a full recovery, Snow," Harry said twenty minutes later, and Barry watched as Caitlin smiled.

"Thanks," she murmured. "Now I'm going home."

"I'll walk you," Barry said, and she nodded once, tightening her sweater around her. No one stopped them, just Cisco squeezing Caitlin's shoulder as she walked passed him.

As they walked the quiet streets of Central City, Barry kept casting side glances at Caitlin. She seemed small, smaller than normal, almost as if she was trying to hide in herself. Her hands still shook, and he wondered what she was thinking. Taking a breath, he held her hand gently, rubbing soothing circles into the back of it. She looked at him, and he her, and she nodded, knowing he wasn't going to push her to talk. Not until she was ready.

"Thanks for fighting for me," she said a few moments later, breaking the quiet they were in. He squeezed her hand.

"Always."

They didn't say anything else but didn't need to. Something changed between them. Looking forward to figuring out what exactly, they kept moving onward.

Author's note: Prompt I got. Might do a second one but in Caitlin's perspective. Don't know yet. Enjoy and prompts accepted in the comments! Xxx


	57. Chapter 57

Caitlin Snow was trying to make her way through college, and life in general, unscathed. She made good grades, had an unhealthy addiction to coffee, and relied on her friends to make sure she stayed afloat during the rocky waters. Cisco Ramon and Barry Allen had been her best friends since grade school. She remembered the day she met them: Tony Woodward had kept pulling on her braids, infuriating her even at that young age, and Cisco Ramon had walked right up to him and hit him in the face, threatening him if he didn't leave her alone. That had been the start of their friendship, and Cisco's fierce protectiveness of her. Barry, while not quite the overly bearing older brother, still took Caitlin under his wing. When she lost her parents in her freshman year of high school, they took turns crashing on her couch during the grieving period. They never let her face her struggles on her own.

Fast forward six years, and they were all juniors at Central City University, trying to make ends meet with bills and their studies. Caitlin, a studious student, didn't do the party scene. However, she did work at a bar right off campus to help pay for her apartment she rented. It was a small, flat that was big enough for her and her dog. Barry and Cisco sometimes crashed there if they needed a place to sleep after spending long hours at the library. However, it was mainly Barry now; since Cisco met Hartley, the two guys enjoyed spending time at Hartley's significantly larger apartment. Caitlin didn't begrudge them for that.

Just then, a knock sounded against her front door, pulling her out of her musings. Heading out of her bedroom, she made her way through her living room, and towards her front door. She opened it and smiled immediately.

"Barry, hey," she said, and he returned her smile with one of his own. One of the good, (and worst), things about knowing Barry since grade school meant they knew all the intricate details about each other; it also meant she fell in love with him at a young age. Around the same time, he fell in love with Iris West. It was painful to have to watch her best friend want someone else, to know that she wasn't ever going to be good enough for him. It was even more painful to help him pick up the shattered pieces of his broken heart when she broke up with him right before freshman year of college.

"I come bearing gifts," he said, holding up the first season of the Walking Dead, and every junk food under the sun. She looked at him inquisitively, and he shrugged.

"It's your parent's anniversary. Did you honestly think I was going to make you sit through it alone?" Barry asked, eyebrow quirked. Caitlin smiled softly.

"Thanks, Barry," she murmured. She let him in, and he made a home for himself on her couch, after putting the first disc on. They watched five straight episodes, before she sighed. He looked at her, pausing the sixth episode.

"What's up?" Barry asked, and she sighed again.

"You'd think that after seven years later, the pain would be less," she said quietly. Their anniversary was never easy to navigate through, always a tricky day to put a smile on, but it was a bit easier with her friends. Barry nodded, and squeezed her hand.

"You've come so far from who you were at that time. After you lost your parents, I was afraid we had lost you; you had shrunk in on yourself so much I wasn't sure I'd ever find you again. But, you grew stronger. With each passing day, you learned to eat a bit more, get a bit more sleep," he praised. Caitlin laughed softly.

"Not that you gave me much choice," she said knowingly. "You basically threatened hospitalization if I didn't eat."

"Yeah, well, after dropping twenty-five pounds you didn't have to drop, I knew I needed to intervene," he replied, and Caitlin rolled her eyes fondly.

"You're always saving people; who's saving you?" Caitlin asked.

"You," he replied with a smile, and she matched it. They went back to watching their show, heart much lighter than it had been all day.

XXX

The next night came around, bringing with it another night at that bar. Caitlin was their main bartender for two reasons. One: she was the best at mixing drinks; two: people liked her attitude. She was carefree at the bar and had no problem breaking up bar fights when some of the men got a little too rowdy.

She had already been there for a few hours by the time Barry, Cisco, and Hartley showed up. Smiling at them, she prepared their drinks quickly, sliding them towards them. On top of paying for their drinks, her three friends left excellent tips, something she greatly appreciated and needed.

"Hey, guys," she called to them over the music, taking a sip of her water. Caitlin never drank on her shift; she rarely drank in the first place; however, there was the occasional night she'd have a few and decide it was a perfect time to sing karaoke, despite her friends' blatant protests.

"Hey, Cait," Hartley called, taking a sip of his rum and coke. She alternated between serving drinks and chatting with her friends. They knew that she couldn't spend all her time with them, not if she wanted to make decent tips. As the night wore on, she kept refilling drinks and breaking up the occasional disagreement. When there were about twenty minutes of her shift left, she headed off to the bathroom before closing out for the night.

On her way back out, she was stopped by a tall, drunk man.

"Want a drink?" He asked, and Caitlin rolled her eyes at the strong stench of whisky on his breath.

"No thanks," she muttered, elbowing her way passed him. He yanked her back into him and she nearly lost her footing.

"C'mon, I saw you watching me all night. I'm Anthony, by the way," he smirked; Caitlin rolled her eyes again.

"Fascinating," she muttered. She got ready to yank her arm away from him, but he held on with a tight grip.

"You're hurting me," she said calmly, but he didn't seem perturbed; he gripped her arm tighter.

"What time do you get off? We can go back to my place," he said softly. Caitlin swallowed the nerves that were crawling up her throat; now was not the time to lose her cool completely.

"Not interested," she replied. Just as he was about to open his mouth, another voice spoke up.

"Do you not understand? She said she's not interested. I suggest you let go of her," Barry said lowly, and Caitlin flashed him a smile. Anthony looked at him before bending down towards Caitlin's ear.

"Let me take you back to my place," he whispered, breath brushing over her ear. She shook a little but remained in control. Taking a deep breath, she elbowed him directly in the nose, smirking when she heard the satisfying crunch that was a tell tale sign she broke it.

"I suggest you leave," she said calmly. Fingers pinching his nose, he glowered at her.

"You idiot," he growled. He took a swing and hit her in the cheek bone. By this time, her manager had heard the commotion and came up to them with a bat. He got the man out as Caitlin touched a hand to her tender cheek.

"Jerk got me," she muttered, and Barry looked at her cheek.

"Needs ice," he commented. "And, nice elbow by the way."

Caitlin smiled, pleased. Her manager let her go early, saying he'd close. She nodded gratefully, slipped into her sweater, and headed out with her friends. Hartley and Cisco held hands as they walked, and she tried not to wonder what it would be like to hold Barry's hand. Her fingers twitched in anticipation at the thought alone. By the time they made it to her apartment, her cheek was swollen.

"Going to get some ice for that, hang on," Barry said, before making his way into her kitchen. She sat down on her couch, with Cisco and Hartley sitting next to her. When Barry returned, he tilted her face towards him. Hissing, she winced as he placed the ice against her bruised cheekbone.

"Sorry," he soothed. She nodded, licking her lips a little. They all fell quiet then, with Barry holding the ice pack against her cheek, and Caitlin thinking about how nice it felt. She saw Hartley and Cisco exchange a look out of the corner of her eye, but before she could ask them what they were looking at each other for, they both stood up.

"We're going to head back to Hartley's place," Cisco said; Hartley smiled at Caitlin.

"Take care of yourself, Rocky," he said, and she rolled her eyes, laughing a little.

"Always do," she replied. They left then, leaving it to just be Barry and Caitlin sitting on the couch.

"You can go home too, you know," Caitlin said. "I can take care of myself."

"You don't have to," he smiled. "Besides, who took care of me during my depression after my break up?"

Caitlin's heart bled a little at the question. His depression had been no easy thing to overcome, for either of them. It took a lot of nights of quiet talking and no sleeping. He had slipped into an almost insomniac like state, desperate to not fall asleep and be overcome with sadness. She never thought he'd get himself out of the hole he was buried in.

"You've come so far from your breakup," she murmured, and he smiled.

"That's in large thanks to you," he matched her tone. She smiled softly.

"I didn't do anything, just helped you remember who you were before you and Iris started dating," she replied.

"So, you basically did everything and saved me," he replied knowingly, and Caitlin laughed a little.

"I guess I did," she said quietly. They fell silent then.

"Your parents would've been proud of you tonight, you know? For holding your own and getting yourself out of that situation," Barry said a few minutes later. Caitlin tried to swallow the lump that had risen painfully inside of her throat discreetly.

"I miss them so much," she whispered. He squeezed her hand.

"I know," he said gently. They didn't say anything else but, when she declared it was time for bed, Barry did say he was going to crash on her couch, should she wake up hurting or sad.

XXX

Things changed for them after that point. Caitlin and Barry spent more time together. He went with her when she worked late shifts at the bar, opting to keep her company. When they weren't at her bar, they were either at her apartment or the library, studying. He had even started bringing dinner over the nights they were studying at her apartment. It all felt very domestic and comforting, in ways that it shouldn't have. She didn't know what any of it meant. Was he just such a genuinely nice guy that he made an excellent friend? Or was there something more, buried deep down? Not knowing the answers to any of the questions swimming around her brain, she decided to just enjoy whatever time she could get with him.

XXX

It was one night, after a particularly long day at school, and an even longer night of trying customers, that Caitlin found herself driving home sleepily. Barry and Cisco hadn't been able to go to the bar that night, what with cramming for their winter finals, so she was left dealing with drunk customers on her own. She was tired and thinking longingly of a hot shower and cup of tea. By the time she got home, she hurried into her apartment, away from the cold and the head cold she was coming down with. When she reached her apartment, she heard someone calling her.

"Caitlin, wait up!" Barry called. Turning, she spotted him hurrying up the steps.

"What are you doing here?" Caitlin asked through a thick head of snot. Barry chuckled.

"Your spaced-out texts clued me into you not feeling well. You're never coherent in your texts when you're coming down with something," he replied. "So, I brought soup."

She noted the soup in his hands and smiled.

"Thanks," she murmured, unlocking her door and letting him in first. After getting inside and turning the heat up, she went to go change into pajama pants and a sweatshirt, leaving Barry to sort out the soup. By the time she made it back into the living room, he had her soup in a bowl and a cup of hot tea waiting for her.

"Thanks," she said gratefully. They didn't say anything while she ate, and by the time she was done, she was just about asleep. He cleared his throat, and she blinked up at him and noticed an expression that bore nervousness.

"What?" Caitlin asked, wondering where the nerves had come from.

"So, I've been talking to Cisco about something for a while now, and he said I'd never know unless I tried," he murmured, and Caitlin's brow furrowed.

"Know what?" Caitlin asked. "You're talking in riddles."

Barry nodded his head a little, eyes flickering down to her lips. Breath hitching, Caitlin lowered her own eyes to his lips, before looking back into his eyes. He tucked her hair behind her ear.

"There's something I want to try, alright?" Barry whispered.

"I'm sick," she matched his tone, and he chuckled.

"I don't care," he replied softly. Then, eyes searching hers', he brushed his lips across hers', warming her from head to toe. They explored each other's mouths, getting lost in the sensations of kissing and them. When they pulled a part, she looked at him, heart beating warmly in her chest.

"What was that for?" Caitlin whispered, and he smiled warmly at her.

"Just something I've wanted to try since I saw you that day in grade school," he murmured. Caitlin looked at him.

"But Iris…," Caitlin trailed off.

"Is not you," he said simply. That would simply have to do. Smiling, she leaned in for another kiss, not caring for a moment that she was sick. She didn't know where they were going to go from here, but it had to be better than what they were leaving behind.

Fin.

Author's note: Prompt I got about them being friends in college and her working in a bar. This was my take on it. Hope you like it! Got a few more prompts to get to. If you have any, drop a comment! Xxx


	58. Chapter 58

Caitlin watched as Barry talked lowly to Iris, laughing at something at she said. She felt a swirl of jealousy rise in her belly and push through to her fingertips. It surprised her, this jealousy. She wasn't sure when she had decided to harbor feelings for the speedster, but here she was, watching him love someone else. It wasn't until someone cleared their throat softly did she blink. Shaking herself out of thoughts, she spotted Cisco next to her. The bioengineer wore a look of concern.

"You alright, Cait?" Cisco asked softly, and she pursed her lips, nodding her head tightly.

"I'm fine," she muttered, willing her cheeks to not tint. The last thing she needed was for her best friend to find out about a childish crush she couldn't squash. Cisco looked at her for a moment, before following her line of sight. He sighed when he took in the way Barry and Iris were laughing. He squeezed his best friend's shoulder.

"Oh, Cait," he murmured. "Have you even told Barry how you feel?"

Caitlin shrugged a shoulder, feeling angry tears burn her throat. Swiping at her eyes fiercely, she shrugged again.

"What does it matter?" Caitlin asked lowly. "There's no point. He's with Iris."

Cisco sighed and opened his mouth, perhaps to argue with her, but she wouldn't know for sure: Barry and Iris walked over to them at that moment. She painted a smile on her face, glad that the tears were at bay. For now.

"Hey guys," Barry greeted them, smile still intact. Caitlin smiled back.

"Hey," she murmured. She spotted Cisco nod once at the speedster and knew, that no matter how much he liked the guy, his loyalties were to Caitlin. The thought was a comforting one. Iris cleared her throat.

"We're just going to head home, call it a night, right Flash?" Iris asked, and he smiled amusedly.

"Right, Flash Jr.," he replied. Iris giggled and laced her fingers through his.

"Night!" Iris called out, before pulling Barry out of the room.

Caitlin's shoulders slumped forward as she sighed. She rubbed her temple, feeling a headache coming on. Cisco cleared his throat softly.

"Chinese and Walking Dead?" Cisco asked his best friend quietly. She smiled.

"I don't think that'll help, Cisco," she matched his quiet tone. "Not tonight."

He stared at her for a long moment, before nodding. He pulled her into a tight hug, and she buried her face into the crook of his neck for a moment. When they pulled apart, he kissed her forehead.

"Call me if you need anything," he said, and she smiled.

"I will," she promised, but knew she wouldn't. It wasn't her best friend's job to take care of her: that responsibility rested on her shoulders alone. He stared at her for a moment longer, before heading out.

She watched his retreating back, before sighing. She went back to the tests she had been running on Barry's speed earlier, knowing she was in for a long night.

XXX

The next day dawned bright and early and, for Caitlin, with an incredibly stiff back. Noting that she had fallen asleep at her desk, (again), she stretched her sore back, hoping to alleviate some of the tension. She had barely decided she wouldn't have time to go change before everyone came when Barry and Cisco came in. Cisco looked at her quizzically, and she shrugged.

"Morning," she said, and Barry raised an eyebrow at her.

"Did you sleep here last night, Caitlin?" Barry asked, and she winced, before nodding.

"Something like that," she muttered.

"But, why?" Barry asked in confusion, glancing at Cisco, who just shrugged in return, eyes never leaving Caitlin's. She sighed. How did she tell the speedster that she was up all night, running tests to make sure his abilities weren't hindering him? Much like how hers' had done the previous year.

"I just ended up doing some things until early this morning. Guess I lost track of time and fell asleep," she said, crossing her fingers behind her back. Barry gave her the once over one more time, before nodding.

"Well, just make sure you sleep in a proper bed tonight, Dr. Snow," he teased, and how Caitlin's heart bled at how easy it was to joke with him. She hadn't been able to joke with anyone. Not since Ronnie. She smiled half-heartedly.

"I will," she promised, before clearing her throat.

"I'm just going to go home and change. Be back in a while," she commented, shaking her head ever so slightly at Cisco's questioning eyes. She knew he wanted to go with her, make sure she was okay; however, she couldn't handle her best friend's concern for her. Not now. Oblivious to this silent exchange, Barry hummed.

"Alright. Grab some coffee for yourself," he replied, looking at the monitors. She nodded, before walking briskly out of the labs and to her car, desperate to be as far away from people as possible.

XXX

By the time Caitlin had collected herself, (how good was a nice, long cry in the shower?), she made her way back to Star Labs, detouring to Jitters. When she arrived at her home, she passed off the coffees to everyone, dismissing their thanks with a quick, "don't mention it". She knew she'd need the extra energy, so sipped her double shot gratefully.

In next to no time, their meta human bored lit up, alerting them to activities. Caitlin looked at Barry, who flashed away to get his suit. He nodded once he returned.

"Be my eyes out there, Captain?" Barry asked Iris, who was vibrating with energy.

"You know it, Flash," she replied, kissing him quickly. Caitlin looked down at the monitors at that moment, trying to protect herself from the inevitable pain she always felt whenever they expressed their love for each other.

"Come back to us, Flash," she said quietly, so quietly only Cisco heard her. He squeezed her shoulder inconspicuously, and the gentle touch reminded her she did have someone who cared about her.

XXX

Barry eventually came back, meta human slung across his shoulders, and firm smile stretched across his lips. He grinned at the praise he received from everyone, before flashing off, and coming back seconds later, arms empty.

"Deposited our guy in the pipeline," he said pointlessly, and made his way towards Iris.

"We're heading out to Jitters, care to come with us?" Iris asked Cisco and Caitlin. Cisco nodded his head immediately, but then stopped and looked at Caitlin, frown toying at his lips.

"Cait?" Cisco asked, and she heard the underlining gentleness in his tone but was certain no one else did. Shaking her head, she smiled softly.

"I'm just really tired, I'm going to call it a night," she murmured, before excusing herself and walking away hurriedly, ignoring Cisco's quiet protests as she went.

XXX

Caitlin didn't resurface from her apartment for three days. She just didn't have the energy to be around anyone right now. She texted Cisco intermittently, letting him know she was fine, just a bit under the weather. It was a shock to hear someone knocking on her door on the third day. Sighing, she made her way to the front door and opened it.

"I told you I was fine, Cisco," she grumbled, looking up. She paused when it was not the engineer she was expecting to see, but the speedster. Barry grimaced apologetically.

"Mind if I come in?" Barry asked quietly. Not sure what to do, Caitlin simply nodded, and granted him access to her apartment. She watched as he took it in, much the same way he did the night after the bar. Cheeks dusting, she cleared her throat.

"What are you doing here?" Caitlin asked, not unkindly. She just wasn't sure what he was doing at her apartment or what she could do to help him.

"I got concerned when I didn't hear from my personal physician for three days," he said, looking at her worriedly. She shrugged a nonchalant shoulder.

"I'm fine. I stayed in touch with Cisco. I'll be back tomorrow," she said, unsure of what he expected her to say. He stood there, looking at her.

"Well, if that's all…," she trailed off, pointing feebly at her front door. He didn't budge.

"Why did you tell Cisco you were okay, but not me?" Barry asked, and she felt confusion swirl in her belly.

"Be…cause?" Caitlin asked, unsure of how to answer. He shook his head.

"That's not answer, Cait," he said quietly, and she bit her lip, thinking. She eventually nodded.

"Because we're not really friends outside of Star Labs. At least, we haven't been in a while," she amended. She watched as a frown settled across his features, causing his eyes to crinkle.

"Since when?" Barry demanded, and she sighed, deciding to be honest with him.

"Since Flash, and Flash Jr.," she murmured, watching as his eyes grew round.

"Caitlin -," he began, but she held a hand up.

"It's fine, Barry," she muttered. He sighed, before grabbing her hands, and tracing her knuckles gently.

"Had you been in the office three days ago, you would've known Iris and I broke up," he murmured, and she stared at him, floored.

"What?" Caitlin asked dumbly, certain she had misheard him.

"We broke up," Barry repeated with conviction.

"But…why?" Caitlin asked, feeling as if she had stepped into an alternate reality.

"Because, Caitlin, it was always you," Barry whispered. Heart beating in her throat, she looked at him.

"It was always you," he repeated. "You who patched me up after every mission, you who came back to us when Frost nearly destroyed you. You. The woman I love is you. After I took off my Iris blinders, I realized how stupid I had been to not notice it before."

She looked at him, tears thick in her throat.

"Barry…" she trailed off, but he hushed her with a long finger to her lips.

"For once, don't think about anything Dr. Snow," he requested of her. She nodded a little and soon they were kissing. Their lips molded around each other; a perfect fit. Caitlin couldn't help but think that yes, this is how it should have been all along. They only pulled apart when the need for air became apparent. Resting his forehead against hers', he brushed his nose along hers'. She smiled.

"Feeling better, Dr. Snow?" Barry asked quietly, and she chuckled. Yes, she was feeling pretty good.

Author's note: Prompt I got about Barry realizing, once he took off his Iris blinders, that it had always been Caitlin who held his heart. Hope you like it. Prompts accepted in the comments! Xxx


	59. Chapter 59

Caitlin and Barry had been dating for six months and Caitlin could finally, finally say she was happy again. She knew that yes, while she still missed Ronnie, she was able to open her heart to other people again, and that was mainly in thanks to Barry. He was patient with her, letting her explore her growing feelings, coming to him when she was ready. It was amazing to watch their relationship bloom before her very eyes. She never thought he'd move passed Iris, so sure he was going to be hung up on the gorgeous woman. How wrong she had been.

Caitlin knew, that while everything was seemingly perfect, things still had a way of being distorted. No matter how hard she tried to pretend otherwise, Caitlin couldn't ignore the fact that Ronnie's anniversary was coming up. This year marked the fourth year that he had left her permanently. True, each year got a little easier; a little less tricky to navigate through, but she was lying to herself if she said she still didn't miss him. That admission left her feeling awful. She shouldn't miss someone when every other day of the year she was perfectly content with her current boyfriend. She also knew, despite how hard she was trying to do otherwise, she was pushing Barry away the closer the day came.

She knew that she had an underlining fear that he, too, would leave her. He was a super hero; so was Ronnie. Look what had happened to him. Usually, Caitlin was fantastic at combatting negative thoughts. Barry had proven to her numerous times he wasn't going anywhere. Still, in the darkest of nights, she was blanketed by the fear she felt. Was it irrational? Sure. Barry had yet to get himself in a situation that he couldn't get out of. And, as his personal physician, she always helped patch him up. Still, there was the lingering doubt that he'd survive every mission he went on and that left Caitlin cold to the bone.

Barry, for his part, was smart. He knew something was bothering Caitlin, even though she adamantly refused to tell him what. He was stubborn, refusing to leave her alone, no matter how much she was pushing him away.

"How about dinner tonight, my apartment?" Barry asked one evening when the team was winding down for the day. Caitlin knew that she should say yes, that she should want to say yes. However, the anniversary had finally reached her, wrapping herself in a tenacious grip. She shook her head, smiling apologetically.

"I'm just really tired. I think I'm going to call it a night," she said quietly. She lowered her eyes when she noticed Barry staring intently at her; it didn't help, of course, she could still feel his gaze focused on her. Sighing, she tucked some hair behind her ear.

"You should get some sleep too, super hero," she added, before heading out. For his part, Barry just let her go, and she was grateful. She couldn't stand how she was shutting him out, but she needed to protect herself, today of all days. Sighing a little, she hurried to her car to begin the drive to her apartment in the heart of the city.

XXX

By the time Caitlin got home, she was tired. So very, very tired. She felt that exhaustion in her bones. After letting herself inside her apartment, she went to change into her yoga pants and star labs sweatshirt. She never wore Ronnie's anymore, not finding the need to. She wanted to wear it tonight, to wrap herself in the comfort that was him. However, she knew that'd be a punishment far worse than Ronnie dying, so bypassed that option altogether.

She looked through her cabinets, noting she should eat. Her appetite always diminished right around the time his anniversary rolled around but, after dropping twenty pounds when he died and scaring the daylights out of Cisco, Caitlin knew she'd force herself to eat, because it was important. As she was getting ready to make a sandwich, she heard a soft knock echoing through her apartment. She went to her door and sighed, after looking through the peep hole. She opened it to spot her boyfriend with cartons of chinse food.

"What are you doing here?" Caitlin asked quietly, folding her arms. She didn't know why she was so angry, but she had explicitly told Barry she wanted to be left alone and he had blatantly disregarded her request.

"Keeping my girlfriend company on Ronnie's anniversary," he said calmly, ignoring her stiff posture. She blinked.

"You know," she muttered, and he nodded.

"I do," he murmured. "Now, are you going to let me in or do I have to eat in the hallway?"

Sighing, Caitlin moved to the side, granting him access into her apartment. After he was inside, he headed straight for the kitchen, leaving Caitlin with no choice but to follow him. She watched as he sorted out the food, passing her the usual she always got. They sat down at her table and ate in silence. It wasn't until halfway through the meal did Barry clear his throat.

"Want to talk about it?" Barry asked quietly, but Caitlin shook her head.

"Nope," she replied, popping the 'p'.

"It'll make you feel better," Barry insisted, and Caitlin pushed aside the last bit of her chow mein and folded her arms.

"Please don't pretend like you'll know what will make me feel better," she snapped. "You didn't even know him."

She wasn't sure what possessed herself to say such harsh words to her boyfriend. To Barry, who had been nothing but kind and supportive. If she wasn't careful, she was going to push him away. But, she reasoned with herself, maybe that was for the best. That way, her heart wouldn't shatter into a million pieces if he left, much in the way it did when Ronnie died. Barry looked at her, smiling slightly.

"You know, you can be as harsh and ugly towards me as you want on this day and I'll still love you," he reminded her. She looked at him, feeling fear course through her. Here was this guy, this amazing guy, who proved he loved her for her. Not for some idea of what he thought she should be like. When they fought, she wanted to pull her hair out, but when they made up, it was like they had never fought in the first place. When it was just them, existing with one another, she never felt as safe. They could do nothing, and yet they would be doing everything. She was scared to lose that.

"Barry, I think you should go," she muttered, but the speedster was stubborn to a fault sometimes. He simply swirled his chow mein around his chopsticks.

"Nope," he said softly, and Caitlin grit her teeth.

"Why not?" Caitlin asked as calmly as she could muster.

"I'm not leaving you to deal with your pain on your own, sweetheart," he replied.

"It's not your job to fix me," she replied.

"No, it's not. But it is my job to love you through your pain while you fix yourself," he countered, and Caitlin stared at him.

"The way I see it," he continued. "You can keep pushing me away like you have been, or you can accept that I love you and want to help you. You should know, though, I'm not going anywhere. No matter how hard you push me away."

"Why?" Caitlin whispered, fearful her voice would betray her by breaking if she spoke any louder.

"Because, it took me a hell of a long time to get through your guarded exterior. Now that you've let me in, I'm here for good," he murmured. Caitlin couldn't help as the first tear fell, followed by a second one. Barry didn't coddle her, knowing she'd hate that, but simply squeezed her hand, rubbing a thumb over the back of her palm.

"It's okay to be sad," he said quietly, and Caitlin gasped, feeling the fissures she had worked so hard to stich up over the years tear apart.

She continued to cry, placing her free hand against her mouth to stifle any noise from escaping her. He stood up, and went to her, bending down on his knees so he could stare up at her.

"It's okay to be sad," he murmured again, and his words wrapped around Caitlin's heart, nestling themselves inside. "I still love you."

"Please…" Caitlin trailed off, unsure of what to say.

"Shh," he murmured, rubbing her knee with his thumb. She nodded.

"Cry. Scream. Scream at me. But let yourself feel the pain that's inside of you today. It's okay," he said soothingly. She didn't want to scream at him, not when he still promised to love her. She told him as such. He nodded.

"Then, tell me about your fondest memories of Ronnie. I promise you, sweetheart, I'm not going anywhere," he said. That was all the encouragement she needed. She got up and headed to her bedroom after throwing their trash away. She crawled into her bed, and he followed suit, wrapping himself around her. She laid her head on his chest and began talking through her tears. She told him about first meeting Ronnie, how they clicked right away. Barry ran his fingers through her hair softly, letting her soak his shirt with her tears. She talked about how they used to stay up late, talking about their future. How, whenever she was sad or scared, Ronnie would hold her tightly, much like Barry was doing now.

By the time her tears had dried, it was incredibly late, and she was tired. Barry, for his part, just held her, shushing her with soothing words. He didn't need to say anything to let Caitlin know he cared; she knew that immediately. They laid there, listening to each other's steady heartbeats. It was the first time Caitlin felt safe all day. She knew that, while still sad, she would be okay. They would be okay. And that was enough to allow her to put one foot in front of the other and keep moving forward.

Fin.

Author's note: Anon requested Ronnie's anniversary, and Barry not letting her deal with it on her own. Hope you like it! Prompts accepted in the comments. Xxx


	60. Chapter 60

Caitlin hadn't lived with anyone since Ronnie. She didn't consider the first few weeks after his death that Cisco slept on her couch "living with someone". He was mainly there to make sure she kept eating and surviving. Now? Now she was well into the first couple of days of living with her second serious boyfriend, Barry. Nervous didn't quite do justice to how she was feeling. She was simply floored with anxiety. What if Barry couldn't end up standing to live with her? What if he thought it was annoying the way she had to have all the clothes folded before bed, the coffee pot turned on and ready to go for the next morning, and the dishwasher unloaded?

Sighing, she finished unpacking their last box, setting the picture of their hands interlocked she had captured on her camera the night they went star gazing on their mantle piece above the fire place. She knew, deep down, Barry didn't regret them moving in a few months after they became official. He encouraged it, in fact. However, she still had her lingering doubts that this was what he wanted. It made her act awkward and uncomfortable around him at times.

"Hey, you," his soft voice called through their apartment, and she glanced up, smiling; nerves creeping away for the time being.

"Hey, you," she murmured, walking over to him. He wrapped his arms around her waist, and she settled her head on his shoulder.

"Place looks great, Cait," he praised. "I only wish I could've helped with the last few boxes."

"Well, the city did need saving," she reminded him gently, and he chuckled.

"Besides, it was mainly linens and a few pictures," she added. "Stuff that didn't require two sets of hands."

Barry glanced around, taking in the pictures she littered the living room of their apartment with. He hummed approvingly.

"They look good," he said, and she smiled softly.

"I brought us dinner," he added, jerking his head towards their front door. Following his lead, she, too, looked towards their door and noticed a box of pizza sitting by the front door. She smiled warmly.

"Thanks, I'm starving," she said gratefully. He released his grip on her and made his way towards the box, as she made her way towards the kitchen. She began looking through their cabinets, on the hunt for some plates.

"Did you just want to eat on napkins?" Barry asked, and she paused. "That way we're not dirtying up our dishes?"

Caitlin bit her lip. She really wanted to use the plates Eddie and Iris had bought them, but this was one of the things she had been thinking about that would be different when living with someone again. She nodded.

"Sure," she murmured, shutting their cabinet doors softly.

"You sure?" Barry asked, frown toying at his lips. "Because, we can eat off plates. I just didn't think we'd want to have to clean up a huge mess our first few nights here."

Caitlin swallowed, thinking about it for a moment longer, before nodding her head a little.

"I'm sure," she promised, making her way towards the table, after snagging their roll of paper towels from its holder.

They ate their pizza, talking freely. But, and she wasn't sure what, something felt a bit awkward between them. Sighing, she took another bite of her pizza, hoping it'd pass soon.

XXX

The weekend came around and Caitlin had never been more grateful. She had a trying week at work, and Barry had an even more trying one. The city was determined to shake them to their cores. Add into the fact that she had lists of things that needed to be done before she could sleep, and Barry was ready to crash wherever he was standing, and she was just glad to have reached two days off.

As she stumbled into her bathroom, fresh from opening her eyes, Caitlin noticed how clean it was. She blinked a few times, taking in her surroundings.

"Babe?" Caitlin called softly, and Barry peered his head in, nervous smile on his face.

"Is this okay?" Barry asked quietly, and Caitlin looked at him.

"When did you have the time to clean the bathroom? It was a mess yesterday morning," she commented. Barry chuckled a little.

"Last night while you were snoring away," he grinned. Caitlin felt her cheeks heat up.

"I do not snore," she muttered.

"You totally do. It's kind of adorable," Barry commented, and she ducked her head, laughing quietly. She sobered up as she took in the bathroom. She found herself missing his t-shirts that were thrown haphazardly on the floor, discarded from a tiring day and swapped for loungewear. She missed how the toothpaste would be half open, squeezed directly in the middle. She missed how she'd have to straighten her perfume bottles back into place after he knocked them over searching for his cologne. In a sudden realization, she noted she missed him and how he lived. Swallowing discreetly, she glanced back up to her boyfriend and spotted a hopeful look on his face, as if he was determined to do something right. Who was she to deny him that?

"It's okay," she said, smiling slightly after she realized she had yet to answer his question. He smiled at her in turn, kissing her quickly, before saying breakfast should be ready in a few minutes. He headed out of the bathroom after that, leaving her to stare at how pristine it looked.

XXX

The rest of the week it seemed like Barry was going out of his way to respect her wishes for a clean home. He always did the dishes, folded the clothes, and even kept the bathroom clean, a feat she didn't think he was capable of. It should've been nice, but Caitlin found herself concluding that Barry was nervous around her. In ways he shouldn't be. She bit her lip, before coming to another conclusion. Where he seemed to have picked up on her desire to be an organized person, she needed to be more relaxed on the rules she set into place.

She started saying that it was okay to leave the laundry in the dryer for one or two nights; that the dishes wouldn't mold if left in the sink during the day. She wanted him to feel comfortable around her, and she wanted to make sure she felt comfortable around him in turn. She knew they were tiptoeing around each other, trying to find a steady rhythm to fall into as partners who lived together.

One night, when she came home late from the labs, she walked into their home, taking off her coat and laying it over the back of their coach. Barry was seated at their table, reading a book. He looked up.

"I didn't know you were on your way home, I'll clean up the mess," he grimaced apologetically. Caitlin took in the kitchen. There were a couple of dishes in the sink, a cup of coffee and saucer plate; there was also some clothes in the washer. Caitlin laughed softly, walking towards him. She wrapped her arms around his chest and kissed him on the neck. In turn, he settled his hands on her arms, humming.

"What's so funny?" Barry questioned, and she nuzzled into his neck.

"Us," she murmured, and he kissed her elbow.

"Explain that?" Barry asked, and she nodded, before unwrapping her arms from around his neck and sitting down at the table next to him.

"How long have we've known each other?" Caitlin asked curiously.

"Five years," Barry promptly said, and she nodded.

"And, in those five years, when have we ever been awkward around each other?" Caitlin asked.

"When Bates shapeshifted into me and kissed you," Barry muttered, and Caitlin laughed gently.

"Here I was trying to block out that memory," she said lightly, and he rolled his eyes.

"Guy was an idiot," he muttered.

"Too true, but besides that, when else have we been awkward around each other?" Caitlin pressed.

"Never," Barry said, eyebrows furrowed together. "Not even when Killer Frost went rogue for a while."

"Exactly. So, why are we being so awkward around each other now?" Caitlin asked simply. Barry opened his mouth, as if he had the answer on the tip of his tongue, then shut it.

"You know, I don't know," he admitted honestly.

Caitlin smiled. "Neither do I. But what I do know is this: I waited for a long time for us to finally be together. No amount of dirty dishes or unfolded laundry is going to stop me from being head over heels in love with you."

Barry grinned at her. "I love you."

"And, I love you," she murmured. They kissed each other gently then, getting lost in the sensations that was just them and being. When they pulled apart, they pressed their foreheads together.

"Does this mean I'm off laundry duty?" Barry asked.

"Don't push your luck, Flash."

Author's note: Anon requested them being cute and awkward around one another during the first few days/weeks of them living together. Hope you liked my take on it! Thanks for lovely comments on the last few posts, by the way! Made a gal's heart happy. Comments accepted in the prompts.


	61. Chapter 61

Caitlin knew that Barry knew something was off with her. She hadn't been getting much sleep, always awake by the time he came home from a late night at the precinct. She managed to avoid his typical question of, "why are you up this late?" by saying she had slept herself out from going to bed so early. True of the matter was this: she was having horrifying nightmares about Killer Frost. She knew that, while in great control of that side of her now, she still had some PTSD from when she first took over and locked Caitlin away. Mix in with the fact that she was still afraid of Earth Two's Killer Frost, and Caitlin wasn't getting any sleep. That's what concealer was for. And coffee.

Caitlin took another much-appreciated sip of her coffee, hoping it would not only help her wake up, but alleviate some of the tension that had popped up along her shoulders as well. The bad thing about not sleeping meant she was susceptible to more stress and tension. Caitlin was already a stressed-out person. Being the personal physician to the city's hero tended to do that to a person. Add in fear of Killer Frost resurfacing and nightmares every time she closed her eyes, and, well, it was a recipe for disaster.

Caitlin also missed her boyfriend. For the passed three nights he had been at the precinct, trying to help them solve a crime. Not that she didn't appreciate the fact that he didn't have to be woken up by her horrifying screams, much like herself, but she missed them talking. She missed them holding onto each other. She just missed him. Sighing, she painted a smile across her face as the man on her mind flashed into the cortex, broad grin across his own features.

"What's with the smile, Flash?" Caitlin asked curiously, and his grin widened.

"We solved the crime!" Barry exclaimed, his excitement palpable. She matched his grin.

"That's great," she replied, walking over to him and brushing her lips across his once, twice, three times, before she pulled away, sighing happily. He took the moment to study her and frowned.

"How much sleep have you gotten?" Barry asked incredulously. Well, she was happy. She shrugged a shoulder.

"I sleep," she replied gently, before jerking her head towards the coffee pot.

"Fresh coffee," she said, stepping away from him and back to where her tablet was resting on the table. She had the sneaking suspicion he wanted to keep talking about her sleep schedule. Not wishing to indulge in that, she slipped her sweater on.

"I have a few errands to run. I'll see you later?" Caitlin asked, picking up her coffee.

Barry nodded. "Yeah, I'll actually be home at a normal hour from now on."

That caused Caitlin's footsteps to falter slightly as she made her way towards the entrance of the cortex, but she kept her steady rhythm going after a moment.

"Great, see you tonight," she murmured, walking out of the labs altogether. He'd be home tonight. In time to witness a nightmare. Wonderful.

XXX

By the time Caitlin got home later that night, she had a sound proof plan about how to not let her boyfriend spot her having a nightmare: she just wouldn't sleep. Seemed logical enough. By the time they had dinner and conversed about their afternoons, she was growing more and more tired. She hadn't slept a solid night in about a week and her exhaustion was catching up to her. As they showered, Caitlin could barely keep her eyes open. When she finally crawled into bed, she laid her head down on Barry's chest, sighing sleepily.

"Why are you so tired, Caitlin?" Barry asked quietly, carding his fingers through her hair. She hesitated, torn. Should she be truthful with him? He'd probably worry about her more than he already did if she did tell him the truth. Hard pass.

"I just kept waking up last night. Couldn't really sleep," she murmured, being half truthful. What he didn't know wouldn't hurt him. Barry hummed, keeping up his gentle ministrations.

"Well, try to sleep now, my Cait," he murmured, brushing his nose against her earlobe. She was afraid she didn't have much choice in the matter. She still didn't remember at which point she fell asleep.

XXX

"Back again, dearie?" Killer Frost asked, and Caitlin looked up, startled, before taking in the rest of the room. She was back in the cage she had been in every other night of the week, Killer Frost smirking at her from the outside.

"Leave me alone," Caitlin whispered, wishing for her voice to be strong and steady, instead of petrified. Killer Frost chuckled darkly.

"But, Caity, where's the fun in that?" Killer Frost sang, raising an icicle in her hands. Caitlin took a deep breath, willing herself to stay calm.

"What? You're going to torture me until I break?" Caitlin asked lowly, trembling slightly at the thought. Even in her dreams, Killer Frost was evil. Killer Frost chuckled lowly.

"No dear, I'm going to torture Barry until he breaks, and you're forced to watch," she trilled, and Caitlin felt fear lock her in place. Glancing around, she spotted Barry in another cage, staring back at her.

"Don't watch, sweetheart," he said, voice soothing. No matter how gentle, his voice did little to wash away her nerves. Caitlin swallowed harshly, throat dry.

"Please Frost, don't do this," she whispered. Killer Frost merely laughed coldly and stalked her way towards Barry. When she plunged the icicle into his leg, Caitlin started screaming and couldn't stop.

"Stop! Stop! STOP!" Caitlin screamed, shaking the bars of the cage she was in.

"Caitlin! Cait! Hey! Wake up, baby."

Caitlin felt someone shaking her shoulder, and all she wanted to do was shove them off her. She had to get out of the cage and to Barry. She had to. The person continued to shake her shoulder and she gasped, eyes flying open, and wrenching herself into an upright position. Barry wrestled her back onto the bed, squeezing her arms gently.

"Shh, just calm down, sweetheart. Take a breath," he murmured, and that's when Caitlin realized she was gasping for air. She coughed a couple of times, barely registering Barry flashing off. He came back two seconds later and handed her a cup of water. She took a sip, letting the cool water ease her parched throat.

"I-I'm so-sorry," she gasped, still trying to regulate her breathing. Barry tucked her hair behind her ear, murmuring soft words.

"Focus on my breathing," he murmured, and she forced herself to match his inhalations and exhalations. Once she had calmed down, she stared at him.

"You're not hurt," she choked out in a trembling voice, and he shook his head.

"No, I'm not baby. And, you're not either. I'm right here with you," he soothed, and she nodded a little, finally feeling her heart stop thumping painfully against her ribcage.

"I'm sorry I woke you" she muttered, looking down. He placed his hand against her cheek and tilted her head until she was looking at him.

"That's the last time I want to hear you apologize for having a nightmare, alright?" Barry asked quietly.

"How'd you know?" Caitlin whispered.

"You were screaming and thrashing around about a minute before I could wake you up," he muttered, and she sighed.

"Sorry," she whispered again, plucking at a loose thread in their comforter.

"What were you dreaming about?" Barry asked in concern, but she couldn't, wouldn't answer him.

"Nothing," she muttered. "Let's just go back to bed."

He must've seen something in her fierce expression that convinced him to not argue with her, because he nodded a moment later, and pulled her onto his chest, wrapping a secure arm around her.

That would only be the first of her waking him up with her nightmares.

XXX

"Sweetheart, you're just dreaming. Focus on my voice, and come back to me," Caitlin heard someone murmur to her. She looked around, not spotting Killer Frost. She wrenched her eyes open, gasping. Barry was there, rubbing her shoulder.

"Take a breath," he encouraged gently. She nodded, letting his words wash over her.

"I should go sleep on the couch," she muttered, after realizing this was the fourth night she had woken him up with her screaming. It was the same dream, different night sort of situation. Barry was being hurt and Caitlin was forced to watch. Killer Frost had no mercy. As she was getting ready to swing her legs out of bed, Barry stilled her with a gentle hand to her shoulder. She looked at him.

"Please tell me what you're having nightmares about. I can't stand knowing you're hurting and I'm not able to do anything. You're losing sleep, sweetheart. You can't function this way," he said softly. She took in his expression, noting the concern in his eyes, and sighed. She adjusted herself to where she was laying back down, propped up on her elbow. He laid next to her and began tracing soothing circles into her arm.

"I see her, every night," she muttered lowly, getting lost in the dreams.

"Who?" Barry matched her tone.

"Killer Frost," she whispered. "She's hurting you, and- and I have to watch."

Barry's breathing hitched, and she looked at him.

"Oh, Cait," he murmured.

"What if I do that to you?" Caitlin voiced her true fear for the first time. "What if I go rogue again and end up hurting you?"

"Caitlin, listen to me. You wouldn't do that," he said softly.

"How can you know that?" Caitlin asked desperately, eyes flickering across his face.

"Because this time, you have something worth fighting for," he said.

"You," Caitlin murmured, but he shook his head.

"You," he said firmly. She watched as he lifted his hand and traced her cheekbone with his thumb.

"And, you're so much stronger than you were when she first took over," he added, and she leaned into his touch, seeking, not his warmth, as Killer Frost would've done, but his gentle reassurances and love. She closed her eyes, inhaling slowly. She thought over his words, letting them sketch a home for themselves in her heart, lighting up her darkest crevasse. When she opened her eyes, she spotted Barry smiling softly at her, and she returned it.

"See? Nothing to worry about, sweetheart, I promise," he murmured, and her smile grew.

"I love you," she whispered.

"And, I you, my Cait," he said softly. She laid her head on his chest, and he pulled her into him tightly, curving around her.

"Sleep." It was the only word she heard, before drifting off to sleep, nightmares at bay for the first time in a long time.

Fin

Author's note: Prompt about Caitlin having KF nightmares and Barry helping her work through them. This was my take on it. Hope you like it! Prompts accepted in the comments. Have some to get to. Xxx


	62. Chapter 62

Caitlin knew she couldn't have asked for a better relationship or boyfriend. Barry was perfect. He loved Caitlin for who she was and not some person he thought she needed to be. He also loved both sides of her: herself and Killer Frost. Everything was as it should be, and she wouldn't change one thing. Sighing happily, Caitlin continued to scroll through her tablet, making sure all her documentation for Barry and Cisco's test results were typed in accurately.

As she got ready to finish for the evening, she heard someone clear their throat and looked up, before smiling.

"Hey, Ralph," she greeted her friend. Ralph was the latest addition to team Flash and, while slightly interesting, she enjoyed having his input on the team. He returned her smile and made his way to her.

"What are you working on?" Ralph asked, and Caitlin nodded her head towards her tablet.

"Just editing the results of Barry and Cisco's testing from earlier," she replied, and he nodded.

"And, did you edit mine, Dr. Snow?" Ralph asked, quirking an eyebrow at her, small smirk playing on his lips. She looked at him, wondering why he was staring at her like that. She nodded regardless.

"Yes, earlier," she murmured. She shut off her tablet, placing it in her bag. After making sure she had everything she needed, she sent Ralph a small wave.

"Well, I'm done for the night," she said. She hitched her bag up onto her shoulder. "Have a good night."

She went to go walk around him, but he stilled her with a hand to her forearm. Blinking, she looked at him.

"What?" Caitlin asked, unsure of what he wanted. He pushed her against the wall, barricading her in with the way he placed his hands against either side of her head.

"Ralph, what are you doing?" Caitlin asked, not quite sure of what was going on.

"Something I've wanted to do for quite some time, Cait," he murmured. Heart beating fast, she tried to duck under his arms, but he stopped her.

"Ralph, stop," she insisted, but he just smiled, before kissing her. She felt herself shut down, becoming unresponsive. When he pulled away, she stared at him.

"I've liked you for a while, Caitlin," he murmured, smiling like the cat who ate the canary. She shook her head, feeling rattled. She tried to gather her thoughts.

"You shouldn't have done that," she muttered, but he smirked.

"I know you've been thinking about it, too," he murmured, and she blinked at him, unsure of what the hell he was talking about. She elbowed her way passed him. Once she was out of the cage he put her in, she hitched her bag up on her shoulder.

"Stay away from me," she warned, before leaving the labs and not looking back once.

XXX

By the time Caitlin got home, she was shaking to her core. She knew Barry was inside of their apartment, waiting for her. How was she supposed to tell him she had just been kissed by another man? Without her consent? She didn't know how he'd react, but she felt so guilty. She knew he wouldn't look at her the same way. Blinking back tears, Caitlin let herself into their apartment slowly.

"Is that you, babe?" Barry called. Inhaling, she shut their door, swallowing the tears that threatened to escape her.

"Yeah," she called back, pushing down the lump that had risen in her throat. Barry appeared down the hallway, grinning at her when he spotted her.

"Hey, you," he murmured. Taking one more moment to collect herself, she glanced up at him, smiling softly; her muscles felt stiff.

"Hey, yourself," she murmured. He studied her when he reached her.

"Caitlin, are you alright?' Barry asked, and she nodded. She knew she couldn't tell him what happened, not if she wanted a chance to keep their relationship. She liked their relationship; it was the first time she felt whole since Ronnie had died.

"I'm fine," she said quickly, after realizing she had yet to answer him. He studied her, placing a hand on her cheek when she tried to turn away. She tried not to flinch from his gentle touch, reminding herself that he wasn't Ralph.

"Are you sure, sweetheart?" Barry asked in concern. Inhaling, she planted a smile on her face.

"Yes, today was just a long day," she murmured, hoping he'd buy her excuse and leave it at that. He looked at her for a moment longer, before returning her smile.

"Luckily for you, we have Chinese and wine. Perfect way to unwind," he replied, and she nodded a little.

'That sounds great," she said softly.

They walked into their kitchen, where they sat down at their table and began eating. Caitlin worked hard to pay attention to what Barry was telling her, but she felt the lingering feel of Ralph's lips on hers'. Disgusted with herself, she pushed her food around in her carton, not having much of an appetite.

XXX

As the week progressed on, Caitlin found herself retreating into herself. For his part, Barry tried to get her to talk about what was bothering her, but she was adamantly against that idea; she didn't want him to know what happened. One night, as they were laying in bed, he trailed his fingertips through her hair. She had her back turned to him, hoping he wouldn't see the guilt and sadness etched into her features.

"Please tell me what's been bothering you, sweetheart," he said quietly, interrupting the silence that they were blanketed in. "I can tell you're sad and it's killing me not knowing what's wrong."

She knew she needed to tell him, it was the only way the guilt that was eating her alive was going to diminish, even only slightly. Inhaling shakily, she nodded her head, rolling over to face him. Looking down at his pillow, she began talking.

"It-it happened earlier this week. I was a Star Labs, when you weren't. I didn't realize anyone else was there, but Ralph was," she whispered, playing with a stray thread in their comforter. Barry didn't say anything, letting her talk at her own pace; he just kept carding his fingers through her hair.

"He asked me what I was doing, and I told him I was updating yours and Cisco's test results. Then, as I finished, he bracketed me against the wall with his hands and…," Caitlin trailed off, unsure how to finish the sentence. Barry got the gist, however.

"Did he kiss you?" Barry asked angrily, and she looked at him, before dropping eye contact.

"Yes," she whispered, tears blurring her vision. "I told him to stop, but he didn't listen. I was so shocked as to what was happening, I didn't push him off. I'm sorry."

Barry placed a hand on her cheek and tilted her head up. Closing her eyes for a moment, she took a breath, before staring up at him. He was looking at her with a mixture of concern and kindness.

"It's not your fault, sweetheart," he whispered.

"How'd you know what I was thinking?" Caitlin asked quietly.

"Because I know you," he replied softly.

"I'm so, so sorry," she muttered. He shook his head.

"I don't want to hear you apologizing for this. You did nothing wrong, absolutely nothing," he said firmly, and she looked at him. After searching his face for any hints that he was mad at her and not finding any, she nodded her head a little.

"Alright," she murmured. He pulled her into his chest.

"I'll talk to him about it tomorrow," he said, and she nodded, suddenly tired. "Sleep now."

Too tired from the emotional turmoil she had been in all week, she nodded once more, before succumbing to sleep, guilt at bay for the time being.

XXX

The next day, when they were all at Star Labs, Caitlin realized what Barry meant when he said he'd  
"talk to him about it". Barry walked up to Ralph, who glanced at Caitlin, before smirking at him.

"Barry, what can I do for you?" Ralph asked pleasantly. Barry didn't reply, just punched him squarely in the face. Everyone in the cortex froze, including Caitlin.

"That's for kissing Caitlin without her consent," Barry barked, and Ralph pinched a hand to his steadily bleeding nose.

"You broke my nose!" Ralph exclaimed.

"Be thankful it wasn't your arm," Barry snarled. Harry walked up to Ralph.

"You need to leave," he said firmly, and Ralph looked at him, then everyone else in the cortex.

"Whatever," he said thickly, blood still pouring out of his nose. He got ready to walk away, but Cisco stopped him.

"Touch my best friend again, and you have me to answer to," he said quietly. Caitlin noticed the way his fist was clenching, and she called tell just how angry he was in that moment. She glanced at Barry, who was glaring at Ralph.

"Touch her again, and you have all of us to answer to," Joe said firmly. Touched by their concern, Caitlin smiled slightly. She walked up to Barry, placing a hand on his shoulder; he wrapped his arm around her waist in turn, pulling her into his body.

"Go, Ralph," she said calmly. Ralph stared at them for a moment longer, before walking out of the cortex. Caitlin glanced at her family and smiled slightly.

"Thanks, guys," she murmured.

"Guy's an idiot," Cisco said.

"A lucky idiot," Barry said darkly. "He's lucky all he walked away with was a broken nose."

Caitlin shook her head, rolling her eyes a little.

"You didn't have to punch him, you know," she said, small smile tugging at her lips. Barry squeezed her shoulder.

"Yes, I really had to," he countered, and they shared a secret smirk.

The rest of the day passed without any more incidents. By the time they were ready to go home, Caitlin was feeling less guilty about the kiss and the resulting consequences, Barry had made sure of that.

"I think we're going to get out of here for the night," he told the team, and Caitlin nodded.

"See you all tomorrow," she said. They walked out, hand in hand, and towards Caitlin's car.

After settling in the car, Barry held her hand on the console as she began the drive back to their apartment. She knew they'd be okay, they always were.

Fin.

Author's note: Prompt I got about Ralph kissing her and Barry's protection of her. Hope you like it. Prompts accepted in the comments. I've gotten to some from people who haven't requested too often, so now I'm going back to older comments. Xxx


	63. Chapter 63

Author's note: Request where Caitlin is still working in the bar and Barry comes to see her. Gonna make it a slight AU since she quit the bar by the time Barry came back from the speed force in the show. Hope you like it, friend!

Caitlin sighed as she wiped down the grimy bar top with an even more grimy washrag. Whoever said working in a bar was fun had clearly never been to the one she worked at. She spotted Norvok watching her and kept her back to him. She didn't trust the guy as far as she could throw him and, he worked for Amunet. Nothing else mattered. Just then, she heard a barstool scrap against the floor as someone sat down. Not looking up from the bar top she was cleaning, she directed her question at the customer.

"What can I get you?"

"My friend," Barry's reply came, and Caitlin paused from where she head been cleaning. Inhaling, she looked up slowly to spot Barry looking at her.

"What are you doing here?" Caitlin asked lowly, not wishing to indulge in a blast from the past. Not today. Barry looked around, taking in all his surroundings.

"I'll take a beer," he said eventually, and Caitlin nodded, grabbing him one and popping the lid off. She slid it to him and went back to cleaning. He cleared his throat after taking a sip.

"Are you going to talk to me at all?" Barry asked, and she sighed.

"What's there to talk about?" Caitlin asked, trying not to snap. She knew that she played a huge part in getting him out of the speed force; she also knew she played a huge part in making his life hell the year before. That guilt still ate at her to this day. Swallowing discreetly, she kept her eyes on the task at hand: cleaning the filthy bar.

"Cisco told me you helped him bring me back," Barry said quietly, and her hand slipped from its rhythmic pattern it had been doing while she cleaned. She blinked, before shrugging a shoulder.

"Doesn't matter," she muttered. Barry placed his fingers on her wrist, stilling her. Inhaling, she looked at him.

"Matters to me, Cait," he murmured. They stared at each other for a moment before she nodded her head.

"You're welcome," she replied. He removed his hand and Caitlin kept cleaning. They were silent for several long minutes before Barry cleared his throat.

"Caitlin, what are you doing in a place like this?" Barry asked point-blank, and Caitlin looked at him briefly.

"I don't really see how that's any of your concern, Barry," she said quietly.

"Because you're one of my closest friends and I care about you," he replied automatically. Caitlin's lips twitched.

"Something funny about what I said?" Barry asked in confusion, and Caitlin sighed, throwing the rag to the side. She grabbed herself a beer, cracked it open, and took a long sip, before shrugging.

"Not really. It's just we haven't been friends in a long time, have we?" Caitlin asked lowly. Barry sighed.

"That's on me," he muttered, but she shook her head.

"Quit trying to carry the weight of the world on your shoulders, hero. Everything that doesn't go according to plan, believe it or not, is not always your fault," she commented. Just then, Norvok came up to the bar and Caitlin's fingers clenched tightly around the bottle.

"Problem here?" Norvok asked, and Caitlin shook her head.

"No, just two people talking," she replied firmly. She spotted Barry looking at the two of them out of the corner of her eye, and shook her head slightly, indicating he shouldn't talk. Norvok stared at her for a moment longer, before nodding and shuffling away. Caitlin exhaled slowly.

"Who's that?" Barry demanded, staring at his retreating back.

"That's Norvok," she said simply, closing the topic. She took another sip of her beer, casting around for a topic to talk about.

"How's Iris?" Caitlin asked eventually, and Barry tore his eyes away from where he had been looking at Norvok and shrugged his shoulders.

"Fine. We haven't really, uh, gotten to see each other much since I've been back," he muttered, and Caitlin quirked an inquisitive eyebrow at him. He sighed.

"The speed force changed somethings," he shrugged.

"Ah," Caitlin replied, not quite knowing how to respond to that. Neither, so it seemed, did he. He changed the subject.

"So, you've been working at this rundown bar for the past seven months?" Barry asked, and she nodded.

"Yep," she replied.

"Is it safe?" Barry asked, and she laughed a little.

"As safe as I am," she muttered. He studied her for a long moment, and she looked down, fiddling with her bottle.

"You're not evil," he said quietly.

"You don't know what she's capable of," Caitlin whispered, staring into her drink unseeingly.

"I know what you're capable of, though," he said warmly. She looked at him, to spot a soft smile on his features.

"Stop seeing the good in everyone," she reminded him, but he shook his head.

"No, not when that's all there is to see," he said stubbornly. Caitlin laughed.

"Speed force didn't change how stubborn you can be," she commented.

"Afraid not," he chuckled. She fell silent then, taking occasional sips of her drink. She spotted Norvok staring at her from the corner of her eye and sighed.

"You should go," she said quietly.

"Only if you come back with me," he replied firmly. Caitlin stared at him.

"Barry," she began, but he interrupted her.

"Star Labs isn't the same without you. I'm not the same without you," he said, and she bit her lip. She couldn't just leave, not when she built a life for herself here.

"My home is here," she said.

"Your home is with us," he emphasized. "Always has been."

Sighing, she nodded a little.

"I know," she murmured, wishing her heart wasn't bleeding at the thought of how she had left her friends; her family. Barry placed his hand against hers', squeezing a little.

"Come back with me, Caitlin. Come back home," he implored quietly. She stared at him and realized something had shifted between them. Not sure what it was, but curious to find out, she nodded.

"I'll think about it," she replied quietly, and she would. He searched her face, eyes flickering all over it, before nodding.

"Don't take too long, Ms. Snow. We could really use you," he murmured, standing up and laying a twenty down on the bar top.

"Keep the change," he grinned, and she rolled her eyes fondly. He stared at her for a moment longer, before eventually nodding and turning around. She watched him walk all the way through the bar and to the door, heart a little less cracked then it had been before he came by. Smiling slightly, she went back to cleaning, knowing that it wouldn't be too long before she was with her family again.

Fin.


	64. Chapter 64

Author's note: Anon requested Snowbarry movie night! Prompts accepted in the comments. Still working my way through them.

Caitlin shifted around, trying to find a comfortable position while she subtly wiped her sweaty palms on her jeans. Here she was, three in the morning with Barry, watching some movie about a girl who could crawl out of the television.

"You alright, babe?" Barry asked softly, eyes never leaving the screen. She nodded and licked her lips.

'Yeah," she muttered, clearing her throat a bit. She glanced at the back of the DVD box, (seriously, who came up with the name The Grudge?) and noted how long the movie was. Glancing at the clock, she realized they still had about half an hour of the film left.

"Really?" Barry murmured, turning to look at her. "Because, you seem a little tense."

Caitlin cut her eyes from the tv to him, shaking her head quickly.

"Nope, I'm perfectly fine. Don't have a tense muscle in my body," she lied through her teeth. Barry looked at her for a moment longer before chuckling. He patted her on the hand.

"Alright," he replied, looking back at the television. Caitlin drew in a breath, turning her eyes to the television as well. She watched as the girl with the long black hair, (did she not own a pair of scissors?) filled up their screen and closed her eyes on instinct.

"Caitlin, babe, are you scared?" Barry asked softly, and her eyes flew open.

"No, I am not," she replied. Thank you very much for your concern, Barry Allen. For the rest of the movie, she watched it with the pillow half over her face. When Barry asked what she was doing, she said the glare from the tv was hurting her eyes. She had sensitive eyes, alright?

At long last, the movie ended.

"Wasn't even scary. Should get your money back, babe," Barry commented, and Caitlin looked at him.

Wasn't scary? Did they watch the same film? Chuckling weakly, she shook her head.

"I didn't buy it. It was a gift from Cisco. He told me it should be the best movie to tread my feet into when it came to horror," she muttered, and Barry laughed.

"Tell Cisco to stop recommending horrible films to you," he replied. "Want a scary movie? Watch Pet Cemetery."

Caitlin blinked. "Is…Isn't that a Stephen King film?"

Barry nodded as he stood up from the couch and began to walk away.

"Where are you going?" Caitlin yelped, hurriedly standing to her feet as well. She so did not want to be left alone should creepy girl who didn't own a pair of scissors come crawling out of her television. Barry looked at her in confusion.

"Uh, bed? It's three-thirty in the morning," he replied. Caitlin tried to still the beating of her heart.

"Oh, yeah," she muttered. "It's bed time, isn't it?"

In truth, the idea of going to sleep when all she knew she'd be thinking about was the movie was not an appealing idea. Barry stared at her for a moment longer, before smirking softly.

"Sure, you aren't scared, Cait?" Barry asked. Caitlin rolled her eyes.

"No, I am not. And keep up the twenty questions and you're on the couch," Caitlin grumbled, annoyed. Barry laughed.

"Not sure who'd that be a punishment for, though. Me or you," he grinned.

Caitlin shook her head and pushed passed her boyfriend. She knew that he was just having some fun with her, that his teasing was harmless, but he raised an excellent point: who would be the one being punished if he slept on the couch? Sighing, she began walking towards the hallway that led to their room and froze. It seemed a lot longer at this time of night. And very, very dark. Inhaling shakily, she nearly jumped when she felt a hand drop down on her shoulder.

"Not tonight, grudge girl!" Caitlin yelled, ducking away from the hand and turning around fast. She nearly growled in frustration when she spotted Barry doubled up with silent laughter.

"G-Grudge girl?" Barry gasped, and Caitlin sighed.

"Alright, the movie might have scared me. But, like, only a little bit," Caitlin clarified. Barry kept laughing, and Caitlin grit her teeth.

"It's not that funny," she ground out. Barry tried to stifle his laughter as he straightened back up.

"You should've seen your face," he commented, laughter finally dying down. Caitlin looked at him for a moment longer before their bedroom. Coming to a quick decision, she squared her shoulders.

"You're on the couch tonight," she smiled sweetly.

"You're just going to have nightmares," Barry commented, but Caitlin shook her head.

"I'd rather have nightmares than a sore back in the morning," she replied, and Barry sighed.

"Fine," he muttered, turning around and heading back to their living room. Caitlin looked back down their hallway and took a steadying breath. She counted to three before running all the way to their bedroom, keeping her eyes shut tightly. It was typical that she'd stub her pinky toe into their doorjamb.

"Ow. Ow, ow, ow," Caitlin groaned, hopping around on one foot.

"You okay over there?" Came Barry's amused voice and she sighed.

"Fine," she called back. "Leave me alone."

She put weight onto her toe gingerly, and limped into their bedroom, after turning on the lights. She glanced around her tv, in the closet, and underneath the bed before quickly changing into her pajamas. She all but flew into her bed, tucking herself in securely under the covers. Of course, it was no good. She knew the moment she laid down, with the lights being turned off, she'd see the creepy film play before her eyes.

"It's fine. It's not real," she breathed to herself, trying to coax herself into sleep. It wasn't even ten minutes later that she was sitting up and switching on their lamp.

"Babe?" Caitlin called, and she heard his laughter as his feet shuffled down the hallway.

"Yes?" Barry asked amusedly.

Caitlin sighed.

"Get in bed," she muttered, and he nodded before crawling into bed with her. He wrapped his arms around her, holding her tight.

"Just a movie, "he reminded her, and she nodded. She felt a bit better with him sleeping next to her.

Just as she was finally relaxed enough to let herself sleep, she heard Barry's laughter.

"Grudge girl," he laughed, and she elbowed him in the shoulder.

"Ouch!"

"Goodnight," she replied, before letting sleep take over.

Author's note: So, yeah. I don't know what this is? It was fun to write. Grudge scared me at one point. So, here we go. Hope you liked it, anon! Xxx


	65. Chapter 65

Caitlin took a sip of her drink, before glancing at her watch again. Barry was due to be at the club in about ten minutes, meaning she wouldn't have to sit by herself awkwardly much longer. Cisco and Hartley had offered to wait with her, but Caitlin knew they were desperate to have some time for just themselves so instructed them to go dance. She'd be fine waiting a bit longer. Just then, someone walked up to her.

"Care for another one?" He asked, and Caitlin looked up. "I'm Evan, by the way."

"Caitlin, and no, thank you," Caitlin replied, sipping her drink.

"You sure?" Evan asked, and she nodded.

"Yes, I'm just waiting for my boyfriend," Caitlin said pointedly, but Evan didn't get the hint. He sat down next to Caitlin and smiled at her.

"I'm sure he won't mind," Evan said softly, and Caitlin rolled her eyes, looking away from Evan and out into the dance floor, wondering if she could spot Cisco or Hartley. By the time she looked back, Evan was nodding a little.

"I can take a hint," he smiled, before standing up. Caitlin breathed a sigh of relief and took a sip of her drink.

"Have a nice night," Evan said, before walking off. Caitlin watched his retreating back, taking another sip. He had nerve, she thought, to insinuate that he could buy her a drink even when she had a boyfriend. Shrugging off the unwanted encounter, Caitlin realized she was suddenly lightheaded. Not sure where that came from, she pushed her drink from her and stood up. She immediately lost her footing and stumbled into the table. Arms wrapped around her waist, holding her steady.

"You alright, Caitlin?" Evan's breath brushed over her ear, and she looked at him, disorientated.

"What'd you do?" Caitlin tried to ask, but her words sounded mushed together. Evan chuckled.

"Just made sure you had something to help you relax. C'mon, let's get out of here," Evan said, and began to lead her forehead. She tried to push him off her, but it was all she could do to keep one foot in front of the other; Evan practically had to drag her along, she had lost feeling of her limbs that much.

Evan led her outside of the club and down the back alley, propping her up against the wall. He pushed her hair back and began to kiss her neck.

"St-stop," Caitlin stuttered, but Evan just hushed her.

"Shh, you're beautiful," he murmured. She pushed against his shoulders, trying to get him off her.

"Stop," she muttered weakly, still pushing at him. She felt tired and so very alone. Where was Cisco? Hartley? They should be done dancing by now and realize she wasn't where they left her.

"Get off me," she said, trying to get control over her voice. Just as Evan reached behind her to unzip her dress, she felt him fly off her.

"I believe she said, get off her," a voice snarled, and Caitlin blinked, trying to focus on the face in front of her. She was unsteady on her feet and as her vision became a little clearer, she spotted Barry punching Evan several feet away from them.

"Stop," Caitlin said quietly, voice hoarse. "Barry. Stop."

An arm wrapped around her, pulling her arm against their shoulder, and she looked up: Cisco was staring down at her in fear, and someone else was pulling her arm around their waist. Turning to the left, she spotted Hartley settling his hand on top of hers', holding her in place.

"Guys?" Caitlin whispered.

"Shh, we're getting you inside," Hartley promised. She turned back to watch Barry and Evan.

"Makehimstophe'shurtinghim," Caitlin said, words a jumbled mess. Hartley nodded.

"Barry, that's enough," he called, and Barry looked up. His eyes met Caitlin and he immediately lowered his fist and ran towards her. He tapped Hartley's shoulder and maneuvered them to where he was supporting his girlfriend and Hartley was standing to the side.

"Stay right here, Joe should be here in a couple of minutes," Barry instructed Hartley, before looking at Caitlin.

"Caitlin? Sweetheart, can you hear me?" Barry asked gently.

"Youwerehurtinghim," she mumbled, blinking tiredly.

"Let's get her inside," Barry said, and Caitlin felt herself being guided forward. She had lost all control of her limbs, so just let them drag her. She could tell when they got back inside the club because of the music.

"I can take it from here," Barry said, and Caitlin felt Cisco release her arm. Before she had a chance to topple over, Barry picked her up, and carried her through the club. She could hear how people got silent whenever they passed them but couldn't register anything they were asking Barry. It sounded like they were offering their help, but Barry was declining.

When they made it out to the front, Barry tightened his hold on Caitlin.

"Hold on, sweetheart," he murmured, and she nodded, understanding what was coming next. In the next second, he was running. Faster, it seemed, then ever before.

XXX

"I need some help," Barry shouted, and Caitlin's head lolled a little as she blinked around at her surroundings. They were in a hospital, if the doctor surging towards them, was anything to go by.

"I'm Dr. Smith, what happened?" Dr. Smith asked calmly, pushing a gurney towards Barry. Caitlin felt him place her down, but she still couldn't take in much of her surroundings.

"She's been drugged," Barry said, and the doctor didn't talk much before wheeling her away. The last thing she felt was Barry's hand on hers', running with them. Then, she promptly succumbed to the darkness.

XXX

It was a steady beeping that brought Caitlin spinning back to consciousness. Her throat was dry, and her head was pounding. Gasping, she tried to sit up, but stopped when someone pushed her back down gently.

"I have some water for you, and you need to stay still," Barry said quietly, and Caitlin looked at him.

"What happened?" Caitlin asked hoarsely, before accepting the cup of water Barry was pressing to her lips. She tilted her head back, taking a sip, and tapped him on the wrist when she had her fill. Barry placed the cup away from her and looked at her.

"What do you remember?" Barry asked softly, and she thought about it.

"That…that guy…Evan or something. And, my vision going blurry. Then…we were outside and…," she trailed off, as the pieces of the puzzle put themselves together. Barry rubbed her forearm.

"It's okay," he whispered, and she nodded. He was right. Nothing had happened that she wouldn't recover from.

"I'm sorry," she said guiltily, looking down.

Barry placed his fingertips underneath her chin, touch gentle, and tilted her head back up to where she was looking at him.

"We'll get into why you have absolutely nothing to be sorry for in a moment. Right now, I want to know how you feel," Barry said, and she thought about it.

"Tired, and kind of out of it, but not as disorientated as I did at the club. What happened to Evan?" Caitlin asked quietly.

Barry's tone took on a darker note. "Joe booked him. He gets his sentencing in the morning."

Caitlin squeezed Barry's hand. "It's not your fault, you know."

Barry rubbed a weary hand over his face, and Caitlin spotted the look of anguish in his eyes when he looked back at her.

"If I had just been five minutes earlier," he mumbled, but Caitlin shook her head.

"Can't protect me from everything," she said quietly, and he sighed.

"Well, that's utterly unfair," Barry muttered, and Caitlin chuckled tiredly.

"Way the cookie crumbles, super hero," she said, closing her eyes. Barry caressed her cheek.

"Get some sleep, sweetheart. You still have a few more hours of observation before I can spring you," he murmured, and she nodded, nestling her cheek against his palm.

"Stay with me," she said, opening her eyes, and she heard his gentle laughter.

"You're stuck with me for life," he replied, and she smiled. That sounded nice. Closing her eyes once more, she let his soothing voice wash over her as he sang, feeling safe for the first time that night.

Fin

Author's note: Have some prompts from Archive of Our Own to get to. First one is this. Hope you enjoy! Xxx


	66. Chapter 66

Author's note: Prompt about Caitlin finding out her father died. This is a slight AU in the sense that Mr. Snow hasn't died yet. Still based around season 4ish. I also can't remember Caitlin's moms' name, so I go by the one I came up with for her. Enjoy. Xxx

Caitlin let out a peal of laughter as she shook her head at Hartley and Cisco's antics. The two partners were currently discussing why the seventh Harry Potter book was better than the movie.

"But McGonagall made the suits of armor come to life, babe!" Hartley exclaimed, and Cisco rolled her eyes.

"Uh, babe, she did that in the book," Cisco stated pointedly, and Hartley looked to Caitlin. Caitlin smiled.

"Afraid his right, Hartley," she said, and her and Cisco shared a secret smirk. Just then, Barry walked in, breaking up the disagreement, and stopping Hartley from saying anything else.

"Hey, guys," he greeted, taking extra care to smile at Caitlin. Caitlin rolled her eyes and smiled back. The two friends had finally, (finally, Cisco was quick to emphasize), decided to explore more to their relationship than just friendship. True, it was still new to them both, Caitlin was almost positive they were going to be together for a long time to come. They just worked well with one another. Just as she was about to ask him what time they were leaving for dinner, her phone rang. Glancing down, her brow furrowed.

"Who is it, Caitlin?" Cisco asked.

"My mom," she muttered. Her and her mom, while on better terms than normal, still weren't as well as she'd like them to be. Despite saying otherwise, Caitlin still wasn't convinced her mom had forgiven her for not taking the serum she had made for Julian. Sighing, she answered the call.

"Hello?" Caitlin asked cautiously, unsure of what her mother wanted from her.

"Caitlin?" Jane Snow asked, and Caitlin heard the way her voice trembled; it set Caitlin's teeth on edge. Turning around on her heel, she faced away from her family, hoping to understand what had her mother so rattled.

"Mom, what is it?" Caitlin asked softly. Caitlin heard her mom inhale shakily.

"I-It's your father. He's had a heart attack," Jane said, and Caitlin froze. She tried to remind herself how to breathe in that moment, but it was hard work. Eventually, she managed to take a breath. She nodded a little.

"Which hospital is he at? I'll come meet you, you don't need to be alone, and, and…" Caitlin knew she was rambling, but it tended to happen when something that had occurred was too big for her to grasp.

"Oh, Cait," her mom wailed, and Caitlin gripped the phone tighter.

"What aren't you telling me?" Caitlin demanded in a whisper.

"He died," Jane whispered, and Caitlin screamed. Oh, she screamed. She felt herself become lightheaded and lose her balance. As she tipped forward, arms shot out, wrapping around her waist securely.

"No, no, no," Caitlin whispered again and again. The onslaught of tears came without her permission, and she heard Barry hushing her as he held her up, noting that he was the one who stopped her from collapsing at the last minute.

"Caitlin? Caitlin?" Jane asked, but Caitlin wouldn't, couldn't, answer her. She shook her head, horrified, and passed the phone off to Cisco, who was standing next to her. He accepted the phone, talking to her mom while Caitlin hyperventilated. Never had she ever suspected her dad to leave her behind. Not once. Now, he was gone for good and there was nothing she could do about it. She barely registered Barry guiding her to a chair in the labs and sitting her down on it. He crouched in front of her.

"Just, take a breath, alright?" Barry asked quietly. Taking a breath hurt to do so. She wasn't sure it would ever stop hurting now. She still had to try. She inhaled, chest feeling tight. Each breath was like an icy stab to her lungs.

"He's…. he's…. dead," she muttered, unable to believe the words she was uttering.

"Hartley, get me a glass of water. Quickly," Barry instructed, and Hartley ran off.

"Oh god," Caitlin wailed, rocking back and forth. "Oh no."

"Shh, sweetheart, shh," Barry murmured. Hartley returned a moment later, running into the labs. He skidded to a stop next to Caitlin and passed her the glass, wrapping his hand around hers' to keep it in place against her lips. Caitlin took a sip, forcing herself to not choke on a sob. She hiccupped as she pulled away from the glass.

"He's dead," she whispered, tears blurring her vision. Just then, she felt a hand on her knee and looked down. Cisco had crouched down in front of her, rubbing her knee softly.

"I'm going to take care of all the funeral plans, alright?" Cisco asked softly, but Caitlin shook her head. She needed to be the one to do that.

"I'm f-fine," she gasped. "Just give me a m-minute."

She took several steadying breaths, trying to get her breathing regulated.

"Ah, ah, ah," she gasped, feeling sobs rip through her chest. Part of her was embarrassed for her friends to see her like this, even if they were family. Another, bigger part was too consumed in the depression she currently found herself in. For their part, Barry, Cisco, and Hartley just stood around her as she sat on the chair, rocking back and forth; they didn't rush her to talk. When she finally slowed her breathing down, she wiped at her face mutely for a few moments, before exhaling.

"I need to plan the funeral," she croaked, standing up. She couldn't get anything done by just sitting there. And, a small part of her knew that she was determined to not face the facts anymore than she already had.

"Caitlin, let me do that," Cisco encouraged, but she shook her head; she was stubborn to a fault sometimes. She would blatantly ignore her own pain if it meant she got the job done.

"I need to do it," she said firmly, walking away and not looking back.

XXX

The funeral came all too soon, and Caitlin was exhausted to the bone. She hadn't slept once. For his part, Barry stayed with her while she made all the appropriate calls. Cisco and Hartley went and picked up her mom, driving her back to Central City, where her father had wanted to be buried. When Jane had arrived, Caitlin had another mask to put on. One that said she was the daughter her mother needed her to be. Strong and safe, something to tether herself to when the waters got rocky.

As Caitlin watched them bury her father, she didn't cry. Not if she wanted to be strong for her mother. She felt someone lock their fingers around hers' and looked down, before looking up. She spotted Barry staring straight in front of him as the minister spoke, but he gave her hand gentle, reassuring squeezes every so often.

When the services ended, Caitlin looked at her mom, then her friends.

"I'll meet you guys back at the house," she murmured, knowing she needed this moment. Hartley and Cisco nodded, before guiding her mother to their car. Barry looked at her, before kissing her forehead gently.

"I'll see you at Joe's," he whispered, and she nodded. She watched him walk off, before glancing around. No one else was there. Perfect. She made her way to her father's grave, sitting down on her knees.

"Hi, daddy," she whispered, tears burning in the back of her throat.

"I'm so sorry," she said, feeling guilt clawing at her insides. She hadn't been there for him when he needed her.

She simply cried, not knowing which words to express that would convey her apologies. She didn't know how long she sat there, crying. It was sometime later that she felt someone sit down behind her, and she glanced around.

"Take your time," Barry murmured, wrapping his arm around her shoulder. She laid her head on his shoulder, sighing.

"I should've been there for him," she whispered.

"This is not your fault," Barry said firmly, and she didn't have the energy to argue with him. They sat there, with Barry kissing her temple occasionally. She wasn't sure how she knew it, she just did, but she knew she'd be alright. They stayed until the sun started setting before deciding to get back to Joe's, where the rest of the mourners would be. Standing up, Caitlin brushed her lips across her fingers, then placed her fingers against the tombstone.

"I love you, daddy," she whispered, and she heard the wind pick up, fanning her hair around her. It was almost as if he was there with her, telling her he loved her too. Deep down, she knew he was.

Fin.

Author's note: Prompts accepted in the comments.


	67. Chapter 67

Author's note: Anon requested a one shot where Caitlin loses her sight for a while. Hope you enjoy! Prompts accepted in the comments. Xxx

Caitlin watched as Barry's dot flew around the map, signaling that he was running in every direction.

"Guys, where is he?" Barry asked, and Caitlin cut her eyes to different parts of their map, before finally spotting their meta.

"Take a left on Cherish, and you'll have him cornered," Caitlin called through the comms. She waited a couple of beats with bated breath, before Barry shouted triumphantly.

"Got him!" Barry's excitement was contagious; Caitlin felt it coursing through her own veins.

"Good work Flash, now bring him here," she murmured. She fisted bumped with Cisco, the engineer equally as excited. Their meta had been wreaking havoc on the city for the past couple of weeks or so. The reason none of them could stop him was because he could literally materialize into a chemical, making it almost impossible to catch him. Caitlin had come up with a serum to counter his abilities, making him remain a solid long enough to get him into the pipeline.

By the time Barry reached Star Labs, the meta human, (nicknamed Chemical), was awake. And very, very angry.

"Let me go," Chemical hissed as he struggled against the power dampening cuffs Barry put on him. Barry rolled his eyes as he pushed him to the bay, searching for Caitlin.

"You ready, Dr. Snow?" Barry asked, and she nodded her head at her boyfriend, smiling slightly. The term "boyfriend" was still new to her, not having really dated anyone since Ronnie. Jay and Julian were disasters that she didn't really count as "dating", so they weren't even considered. She made her way to Barry, and Chemical, standing just shy of them.

"Flash, you need to take off the dampening cuffs," she murmured, and Barry turned his eyes on her.

"What?" Barry asked in alarm, and she grimaced apologetically.

"I need to be able to inject the serum into his wrist for it to enter his blood stream appropriately," she muttered. Barry looked at her for a few moments, before looking at their meta. He assessed him, before nodding slightly.

"No funny business," he warned, before undoing the cuffs. Apparently, their meta had other ideas. He shoved Barry away from him, sending him flying backwards. Caitlin, caught in moment of panic, fumbled with the needle. She hastily shoved it into his wrist, just as he pressed his hand towards her eyes. She heard him yelping as her eyes shut close on their own accord.

"What'd you do to me?" Chemical roared, but Caitlin was still to busy with her closed eyes to make much sense of what was going on. She heard a loud thump and assumed their meta fell.

"Caitlin, Cisco, hold on. I'm going to go put him in the pipeline now," Barry said, and Caitlin felt her hair fly all around her; a tell-tale sign he had left the room.

Caitlin's eyes were burning, and she felt a rush of desire to splash them with cold water. By the time Barry returned, she was on the ground rubbing them. She could tell Cisco was next to her, talking to her, but she couldn't register what he was saying.

"Definitely one of our trickier meta- "Barry called, before the sentence died on his lips. Caitlin, (who hadn't opened her eyes yet), could only assume he had spotted the position she was in, with Cisco crouched next to her.

"What's wrong?" Barry demanded, and the next thing Caitlin felt was Barry placing his hand on her wrist.

"Caitlin?" Barry asked worriedly, and she lowered her hands. Blinking her eyes open, she took in all the she could, before realizing that was absolutely nothing.

"I can't see," she exhaled shakily, feeling panic grip her in a tenacious hold.

XXX

"So, Chemical touched your eyes before you got the serum into his blood stream?" Cisco checked, and Caitlin nodded her head, twisting her head around, trying to follow his voice. He touched her on the shoulder.

"I'm right in front of you," he said softly, and she smiled slightly.

"Thanks," she murmured. She felt another hand close around her small one and traced it with the pad of her thumb.

"Barry?" Caitlin checked.

"Yeah, it's me," he said quietly. She didn't have to work hard to hear the guilt in his voice and sighed.

"Not your fault, Flash," she murmured. She didn't have to see him to know he was rolling his eyes.

"Just about," he muttered. Caitlin shook her head.

"Stop trying to carry the weight of the world on your shoulders," she chastised him gently.

"I know you can't see anything, Snow, but your retinas don't look damaged too much. I doubt this is permanent," Harry stated, and Caitlin nodded a little. She knew he was performing one of her main tasks; searching her eyes with the pen flashlight.

When he was through, he tapped Caitlin on the shoulder.

"Why don't you call it a night, Snow?" Harry asked softly, and she nodded. She was tired.

"I'll take you home, c'mon," Barry said quietly. She allowed him to help her stand up, before wrapping her arm around his waist. He guided her through the labs and outside; for their part, her feet led her through the familiar pathway, taking each step gingerly.

When they were outside, Caitlin felt the wind pick up around her, fanning her hair around her. It was fall, so the nights were getting cooler. She tightened her sweater around her, and looked around, trying to hear where Barry had gone.

"I'm still here," he said, and she nodded.

"I have to pick you up now. Do you trust me to get you home safely?" Barry asked quietly. Caitlin knew what he was asking her: did she trust him to be her eyes? Did she trust him without any hesitations?

"Without a doubt," she murmured. She felt him pick her up and, naturally, her arms found a home from themselves, wrapping around his neck as he held her. They were off in the next minute, and Caitlin closed her eyes on instinct, although she couldn't see where they were going. When he stopped a few moments later, Caitlin opened her eyes, still seeing nothing but darkness.

"We here?" Caitlin asked.

"We're here, sweetheart," Barry said. She nodded.

"Key's in my purse," she said, and Barry placed her down. She handed him her purse, trusting him to not look through it except to get her key out. A moment later, she heard the door click open as he handed her the purse back.

"Let's get you inside," Barry encouraged, and she nodded, before promptly walking into her doorjamb.

"Ouch," she muttered, feeling disorientated. Barry chuckled softly.

"I'd say watch where you're walking but you really can't, can you?" Barry asked, and she laughed a little.

"Not at that moment," she murmured. He guided her in, and she knew he was helping her navigate her way through her apartment. By the time she was seated on the couch, she was tired and hungry, something he picked up on when her stomach rumbled.

"Hold on, and I'll go get us some food," he said, and she nodded.

"That sounds great," she replied. He was gone the next moment. She didn't have much to do while she waited, but, thankfully, she didn't have to wait long. When she felt her hair fly around her, and her couch dip down with another presence, she knew he had returned.

"Got Chinese," Barry said, and she smiled gratefully.

"Thought I smelt orange chicken," she murmured appreciatively.

"Here," Barry said, and Caitlin knew he was handing her the food. She reached for it.

"No, to the left a little," he said, and she directed her hands to the left.

"Too far left. Go back right, babe," he laughed, and she directed her hands to the right.

"Overshot it," he laughed again. He stilled her hands, placing the carton of food inside them.

"There," he said, and she grinned.

"Thanks," she replied.

They ate in silence, and Caitlin tried to see more than the darkness that had taken over her eyes. Barry hummed a little.

"What are you thinking about, sweetheart?" Barry asked, and she sighed.

"Just how I wish I could see something. Anything," she muttered.

"We'll get your eyesight back," he promised. "Harry said it shouldn't be permanent."

"I know," she replied quietly. When they were through eating, Barry cleaned up all the trash, then made his way back the couch.

"I'm going to stay here tonight, alright?" Barry asked softly.

She knew he shouldn't have to, that she should be able to take care of herself; she also knew that he'd want to help her. To make sure that she didn't get hurt further. Pushing aside her pride, she nodded.

"Alright," she whispered. He guided her to her bedroom, gently navigating her through her apartment. It was one thing to know the apartment like the back of her hand when she could see; a whole other thing when her sight had been taken away. Luckily for her, Barry seemed to know her apartment, too, because he prevented her from stumbling over anything. By the time she reached her bedroom, Barry picked out clothes for her to change into.

"Pajamas," he said, and she smiled. "I'll let you change."

She quickly changed into her pajamas, calling him back into her room when she was done. He climbed contentment.

"You're the best, babe," she whispered, and she felt the vibrations of his laughter through his chest.

"Get some sleep, my Cait," he replied, and she nodded, drifting off to sleep a few moments later.

XXX

When she woke up, she found Barry staring at her.

"You've got some drool on your chin," she murmured sleepily, letting out a yawn.

"That's embarrass-hang on, you can see?" Barry asked, and she blinked, taking in the full reality that her eyesight was back. She grinned.

"I can," she confirmed, staring at her room. She was inexpressibly grateful to be able to see her surroundings again.

"Harry did say it wasn't permanent," Barry grinned, and she nodded her head a little, before kissing him.

"I'll miss being your guide, though," he added a moment later. She grinned.

"I prefer seeing you, though," she smirked, before kissing him again.

His laughter was music to her ears and his smile was breathtaking to witness. She grinned once more, before kissing him until they grew dizzy.

Fin.


	68. Chapter 68

Author's note: Anon requested Snowbarry watching a movie and Barry says "I love you" while thinking Caitlin is asleep. Hope you enjoy it! (P.S. Trying to get to some more of my older comments. Bare-with me).

Caitlin and Barry had been dating for about a week, officially. Unofficially, they had danced around each other for a few years now, with the intentions of being something more, but something always stood in their way. First, it was Ronnie coming back, then leaving again. Then it was Barry telling Iris his feelings. Then, it was Ronnie dying. Not to mention Jay and Julian. No, with one thing or another, they never had the time to date.

Caitlin was happy they finally reached this point. True, the relationship was new to them both, it felt like they had just taken the next logical step. She knew that when Killer Frost first had surface, Barry thought he had lost her; she had thought she had lost herself. But, she had fought like hell to get back to him. He had fought like hell to bring her back to him, too. Now, they were spending all their free time together, and she wouldn't change a thing.

They were currently cuddled up on her couch, watching some comedy that Barry had promised would have her in tears. Yes, it was funny, but she was a bit more preoccupied with not letting her thoughts take her away with them. She closed her eyes, snuggling into her boyfriend a bit more. Barry must've thought she had fallen asleep, because he murmured an "I love you" quietly, kissing her head. She sat there, frozen.

Did he really love her? Did she want him to love her? She wasn't sure. The last man that had told her he loved her and meant it, had died. Her heart was still stitching itself back together after Ronnie had left permanently. She knew, while not broken beyond repair anymore, she'd still always miss him. He had been a significant person in her life, creating his own chapter in her book. She also knew that Barry had come into her life and created his own chapter. She just wasn't sure if that meant she loved him. Or, if she did, if it meant she was ready to tell him.

Could she love him, though? Could she possibly love anyone after getting her heart broken as many times as she had? At one point, she thought there would be a possibility that she could have loved Jay. Look how well that turned out. Julian had been a disaster she bypassed altogether. She knew there was no way she had ever loved him; he had tried to take away one of the things that would become one of the best parts about her.

Barry, while trying to contain Killer Frost at first, had only wanted to help. Sure, she didn't appreciate being locked in the pipeline, but she knew he had done it because it was the best thing to do. She didn't begrudge him that. She also knew Barry had fought like hell to bring her back to him, even though he was engaged to Iris. Iris. What an interesting feeling that rose up in Caitlin whenever she thought about the gorgeous woman. It wasn't as if she was jealous of her. No, it was more like she was hesitantly accepting of her and what hers' and Barry's relationship once was. Much in the same way Iris was hesitantly accepting of what Caitlin and Barry's current relationship was. There was no malicious or ill intent for either woman; they just had come to an understanding of one another.

So, that led Caitlin to her current predicament. Did she love Barry? The answer came to her so suddenly, and so easily, that it left her a bit lightheaded. Yes. The answer was yes. She did love him. Not sure how to contain her excitement, (and slight fear), she opened her eyes, smiling up at her boyfriend.

"I love you, too," she whispered, and noticed a light pink tint his cheeks.

"I thought you were asleep," he murmured, and she chuckled.

"Are you going to take back your declaration?" Caitlin teased, and his blush became more pronounced. However, a soft smile was tugging at his lips as he shook his head.

"No, of course not," he replied softly. He bent down and kissed her gently. She relished in the way it left her dizzy, and desperate for another kiss as he pulled away. That wasn't going to work for Caitlin. She sat up from where she had been laying against him and kissed him properly, sighing contentedly when he pulled her in closer. They explored one another's mouths, getting lost in the sensation that was them and just being. Caitlin kissed him until she couldn't think straight, sighing a bit when he pulled away. He chuckled.

"And, here was me thinking you were asleep," he teased, and she laughed, feeling her own cheeks heat up.

"Well, if I had been asleep, I wouldn't have heard your confession, would I?" Caitlin asked, smiling a little. Barry searched her face, eyes flickering over every inch of it. She licked her lips, suddenly nervous, feeling as if she was on display for the world to see. She tried to turn away, to hide, but he stilled her with a gentle hand against her cheek.

"Don't hide from me," he murmured. "I waited too long to be able to call you my girlfriend; I don't want you hiding from me now that I have to opportunity to do so."

She nodded a little, nuzzling into his hand. She wasn't sure where they would go from here, now that their confessions were out in the open, but she was excited to find out. He pulled her back against his chest, throwing the blanket over them a little higher. She snuggled against his chest again, sighing contentedly. Her eyes grew heavy and the last thing she heard before she succumbed to sleep was Barry telling her he loved her. Yes, she thought, I love him, too. This was the way it should've been all along, and the way it would be from here on out. It was perfect.

Fin.


	69. Chapter 69

Author's note: Anon requested fight between our favorite couple, Barry gets hurt, they make up, and cute forehead kisses. Hope you enjoy! Xx

Caitlin wasn't even sure what they were fighting about anymore; hadn't been sure the last half hour.

"Barry," Caitlin said, inhaling through her nose slowly. She was trying to keep her patience and not yell at the only man who knew her better than she knew herself. Barry folded his arms and sent a glare her way.

"What?" Barry asked through clenched teeth.

"Tell me, please, why I can't go out into the field with you?" Caitlin asked as calmly as she could muster, folding her arms across her chest, too. Barry rubbed a tired hand over his face.

"Because, Caitlin, I've told you: it's too dangerous," he matched her calm tone. However, it seemed to take him more effort to remain calm than it did for her. That wasn't to say she wasn't calm; it just meant she was better at keeping a level head during their fight. Caitlin closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose, exhaling.

"And, I've told you: that's a poor excuse to not let Killer Frost out onto the field. She wants to help," Caitlin declared.

"For what, the first time?" Barry muttered underneath his breath, but Caitlin heard it. She gasped, staring at him. His eyes snapped up, searching for hers' and she noticed the look of regret swimming in them.

"Cait- "he began, but she held up a hand.

"Don't," she said quietly. "Just, go."

Their meta human alert blared again, and Barry looked at her once more, before hunching his shoulders.

"Sorry," he murmured. He was gone in the next second.

Caitlin sighed as Cisco made his way towards her.

"He didn't mean it. You know he didn't," Cisco implored, and she nodded, suddenly feeling tired.

"I know," she mumbled. It still didn't take away the sting of the words. Cisco squeezed her shoulder gently, and they turned their eyes towards the screen. Maybe Cisco could tell that Caitlin wasn't quite ready to forgive her boyfriend of three years, meaning she wasn't going to be the one to guide him through the mission, because Cisco was clearing his throat a moment later.

"What can you see, Flash?" Cisco asked.

"Smoke. Lots of it," came the reply, and Caitlin swallowed discreetly. While still angry with him, she wanted to make sure he didn't inhale any smoke. She looked at Cisco, and he her. They shared a nod.

"Flash, rotate your arms, creating a funnel. It should vacuum the smoke," Caitlin said in a clipped voice.

"You're still mad at me," Barry sighed, and Caitlin smirked slightly.

"Let's just say you're taking the couch indefinitely," she commented dryly. Barry sighed again, and she rolled her eyes, before concentrating on the task at hand: making sure Barry got out of this mission unscathed. Their meta could create storms of fire. Raging fires. He had no problem destroying whatever was in his path. Caitlin waited on pins and needles until the fire was put out.

"Now, Vibe, open a breach and take our meta to the pipeline; I've got to get the hostages out of here," Barry instructed. Caitlin winced at how deeply he was breathing and knew that smoke was being pulled into his lungs with every inhalation he took. However, if he could get out of there in the next minute and half, his healing abilities would kick into overdrive and he'd be making a full recovery within a couple of hours.

"You've got a minute and a half to get yourself, and the hostages, out of there alive," Caitlin warned, not finding the need to add the "or else" that was dying to escape off her tongue; he knew she meant business, regardless of it being added or not.

"Yes ma'am," Barry replied, and Caitlin rolled her eyes.

She watched as Cisco opened a breach, darting through it and running back in a moment later, meta human slung over his shoulder.

"Going to put him in the pipeline," Cisco said.

"How's Barry?" Caitlin couldn't help but ask, and Cisco sent her a comforting smile.

"He should be on his way back soon," he replied. That eased some of the tension she felt that had popped up along her shoulders. Cisco wouldn't give her false hope.

A moment later, Barry came whizzing into sight.

"Ow, ow, ow," he groaned, holding a hand to his head. Caitlin immediately forgot her anger with her boyfriend as concern swelled up inside of her. She guided him to the bed in the med bay, sitting him down.

"What?" Caitlin asked, placing her hands onto his shoulders.

"Ranintoapole," he mumbled, words a jumbled mess, and cheeks tinted pink. Caitlin bit her lip to keep from laughing.

"I'm sorry, what?" Caitlin asked, and Barry sighed.

"Ran into a pole," he mumbled petulantly.

Caitlin snorted. "How?"

"It's your fault. I was thinking about our stupid fight. I wasn't distracted when I was in a building engulfed in flames because there were hostages and a fire I had to sort out. However, when the hostages were delivered to safety and I was free to come back here, my mind went back to our fight and I lost track of where I was running and," he paused, looking up at her. "And, you're laughing at me."

Caitlin, who had tried to remain somber through his tale of what happened, had lost it and clutched her stomach, bent over as she laughed.

"Did you hurt the pole?" Caitlin managed to gasp out.

"Cute, Caitlin," Barry sighed, and folded his arms.

Caitlin straightened up, stifling the last bit of chuckles that threatened to escape her. "I'm sorry. I can control myself. Let me check your head."

Barry didn't move as she massaged his forehead. When he winced at a spot she probed, she quirked an eyebrow.

"Tender?"

"A little," Barry admitted, and she nodded, before shining her pen light into his eyes. After a moment of this, she shut it off.

"Luckily, no concussion. Just a little tender. That should fade within half an hour. Now, let me listen to your lungs," she said, going and picking up her stethoscope and placing it in her ears. She had him take a few deep breaths, listening intently. Satisfied with what she found, she took off her stethoscope and wrapped it around her neck.

"Barely any smoke in the lungs, and what little is there is already starting to fade. I should say you'll be back to normal in a couple of hours," she murmured. He nodded. She looked at him for a moment, before nodding herself.

"Well, you're fine," she murmured, going to walk away. She stopped when his hands shot out, followed by a quick, "hey!". When he wrapped his arms around her waist, she felt the last bit of tension she had felt since their fighting begin to ebb away. She placed her arms on his shoulders, looking at him.

"I'm sorry," he said quietly, and she nodded.

"Me too," she murmured. He looked around the room, and Caitlin watched him. Eventually, he turned back to her.

"It's just the idea of you out there with me, fighting meta humans, is not an appealing one. What if something happens to you?" Barry asked quietly, and Caitlin smiled slightly.

"Can't protect me from everything, superhero. No matter how hard you try," she replied. He sighed, before nodding.

"I know."

"Besides, Killer Frost does a good job handling her own out there," Caitlin added. He nodded again.

"You're right. Next mission, she'll be out there with me," he promised. Caitlin smiled, before brushing her lips across her boyfriend's forehead.

"I love you," she mouthed.

"Hmm, I love you too," he murmured, kissing her back on the forehead.

Fin.

Author's note: Anon, hope you liked! Prompts accepted in the comments. Xxx


	70. Chapter 70

Caitlin and Barry had been dating for a few weeks now and, while everything was going perfectly, Caitlin was still shy about a few things. One of those things outweighed the rest. She was nervous about the times they'd cuddle. Whether it was on the couch, watching a movie, or after a long day of work. Her body temperature was always cold these days. Perks of having a doppelganger who was known for her iciness, both figuratively and literally. All Caitlin could do was hope that when the time came for them to cuddle, she'd be able to stay warm.

One night, after a particularly draining day of work, Barry and Caitlin found themselves headed back to Caitlin's apartment. Caitlin was exhausted, but that was nothing compared to the exhaustion Barry felt. Saving the city was no easy feat. Sure, he had the help of Killer Frost, but Frost was more determined to make sure Caitlin didn't get hurt than saving the day.

"You know, babe, your doppelganger could give me a run for my money when it comes to making sure you don't get hurt," Barry commented, and Caitlin quirked an eyebrow that had him backtracking immediately.

"Not that you need to be protected," he added, holding his hands up in surrender. "Don't shoot me with ice."

That caused Caitlin to chuckle. "C'mon, superhero. You need something to eat.:"

After ordering copious amounts of food from their favorite takeout restaurant, Caitlin went to go change while Barry ran to go get it. By the time she was in her yoga pants and t-shirt, Barry was back, setting down the food. And, maybe sneaking a bite or two for himself.

"You better not be eating mine," Caitlin warned. Barry shook his head, grin stretching along his face.

"Nope," he replied, popping the 'p'. She shook her head amusedly.

"Whatever you say, Flash," she replied.

XXX

By the time dinner was over, Barry and Caitlin had drifted to her bedroom, where they got ready for bed. This wasn't the first time they'd be sleeping in the same bed, but it always left Caitlin a bit nervous. Not nervous that he'd do something to make her uncomfortable; Barry would never dream of doing something like that and she knew it. No, she was nervous about what she would do. Well, mainly what her powers would do, but she digressed.

Barry reached out for her, but she scooted to the end of the bed. He frowned.

"Babe?" Barry questioned, and she sighed. She knew this was the third or fourth time she had scooted away from him this week alone.

"I…. just don't like cuddling," she mumbled, hoping Barry wouldn't see the way her cheeks heated up.

"You don't like cuddling?" Barry parroted skeptically. She bit her lip, before shaking her head.

"No?" Caitlin replied, but it sounded more like a question; sounded more like she was unsure of herself.

Barry was contemplative for a few moments. Long enough for Caitlin to wonder if he was mad at her. He was chuckling a few moments later and that soothed the nerves her belly.

"Why are you laughing?" Caitlin asked softly.

"Tell me something: did you and Ronnie ever cuddle?" Barry asked. Caitlin thought over her answer, before deciding to be truthful.

"Yes," she admitted, ducking her head.

"Then, you don't necessarily not like cuddling. You just don't like cuddling with me," Barry clarified.

"No!" Caitlin exclaimed, before sighing. She sat up, and Barry matched her movements. He traced her knuckles with the pad of his thumb, looking at her.

"Then what is it?" Barry asked, and she bit her lip.

"When…I know that my temperature isn't the same as it once was," she muttered. She could feel her boyfriend's eyes on her, but she was too embarrassed to look at him. However, when she felt his fingertips underneath her chin, tilting her face up, she took a deep breath and met his eyes.

"Killer Frost?" Barry asked, and she nodded.

"She's a lot colder than I am, which means my body runs at a colder temperature. I-I'm scared of making you cold or uncomfortable; of hurting you," Caitlin mumbled.

"Oh, sweetheart," Barry murmured, kissing her forehead. "You're not going to do that."

"How can you be so sure?" Caitlin asked curiously, and Barry smiled slightly.

"One, I heal quickly. So, even if you did "hurt" me, it wouldn't be for long. Two, I know you," Barry replied. Caitlin sighed.

"What about the time when Killer Frost kissed you and nearly took away all your warmth?" Caitlin challenged.

"Yeah, well, that- you know about that?" Barry asked, stopping himself midsentence. Caitlin nodded.

"Yes. I was so mad at her for doing something that I had wanted to do for the longest time. And, she nearly killed you in the process," Caitlin muttered. Barry chuckled again.

"Don't be. She didn't kill me and now you get to kiss me whenever you want," Barry smirked. Caitlin rolled her eyes before kissing him gently.

"I know," she replied softly, lips still pressed against his.

"So, how about you stop worrying about hurting me, and cuddle with me? I want to cuddle with you," Barry said. She thought about it, before nodding her head a little.

"Just-just hand me that blanket," she replied, tilting her head towards the blanket at the end of her bed. Barry grabbed it, handing it back to her. Caitlin stood up, and wrapped it around herself, making sure it was nice and tight. She crawled back into bed.

"Alright, now we can cuddle," she murmured.

"Really?" Barry asked excitedly, and she chuckled.

"Really," she affirmed. She allowed Barry to readjust them to where she was pressed against his body, head tucked underneath his chin. His arms were wrapped around her, holding her tight.

"Tell me if your body temperature drops," she murmured.

"Of course, Dr. Snow," Barry chuckled. She rolled her eyes, elbowing him in his ribs.

"Ouch," he muttered, and she laughed, feeling content.

"I love you," she whispered, closing her eyes. Before she drifted off, she felt something, (his lips), pressing against her head.

"I love you, too, my Cait," he murmured. Smiling slightly, she let sleep overcome her, worries far from mind.

Fin.

Author's note: Prompt about her being nervous to cuddle with him. Hope you enjoy! Prompts accepted in the comments. Got a couple to get to. Xxx


	71. Chapter 71

Author's note: Anon requested Barry hurting Caitlin and KF coming to her defense. Barry P.O.V.

"God, Caitlin, would you just be quiet for a moment?" Barry snapped, wondering what on earth possessed him to say these words to his fiancé. They had been engaged for the better part of six months and, while most things were going according to plan, they still had a few hiccups to smooth out. Such as her being out in the field with him. It wasn't that he didn't think she could hold her own, not with Killer Frost taking over; it was more that he worried endlessly about her getting hurt and, if he had hostages to tend to or something, he couldn't focus completely on her. He watched as his fiancé flexed her hand and felt his irritation grow.

"Barry," Caitlin said, enunciating each syllable in his name. "I have told, time and time again, that Killer Frost can handle her own in the field. You're the only one who's making this into a far bigger deal than it needs to be."

Barry, while knowing he shouldn't, couldn't help but twist the knife in further, he was that frustrated.

"I know she can handle herself, but can you?" Barry snapped. He watched how Caitlin's eyes narrowed and swallowed back the apology bubbling to the surface.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Caitlin demanded in a clipped tone. But, Barry didn't have to work hard to hear the hurt behind her anger. Sighing, he pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Oh, I don't know, just that you tend to get yourself either hurt or kidnap on some mission," he muttered. The instant the words left his lips, he was immediately regretful. He shouldn't have said that.

"Is that really what you think of me?" Caitlin asked quietly. "That I can't…. can't handle my own?"

Sighing again, he watched as her shoulders hunched inwards. "I didn't mean it, sweetheart. You know I didn't."

But, Caitlin didn't seem to be in the mood to be comforted. He watched as her eyes flashed dangerously.

"Cait?" Barry asked, suddenly worried. He knew, that while mainly having control over Killer Frost, the other woman appeared when she felt threatened. Or, when she felt that Caitlin was threatened. And, Barry knew he was backing her into a corner, so undoubtedly felt threatened.

"Hey, take a moment to breathe," Barry encourage softly, walking towards her, fight drained out of him.

"Don't," Caitlin snapped, backing away from him. He didn't listen to her.

"Take a moment to breathe," he repeated, and Caitlin held her hands up. Barry watched as her eyes continued to flash, changing from her warm brown ones to the icy silver of Killer Frost. He sighed, knowing his fiancé was going to a place he couldn't reach her.

"Flash," Killer Frost trilled.

"Frost," Barry muttered. He watched as Killer Frost folded her arms against her chest, levelling him with a glare.

"Why is Caity mad?" Frost snapped, and Barry winced. How was he supposed to get out of this one?

"I…don't know," Barry hedged, hoping to buy himself some time. When Killer Frost was mad, everyone felt the fallout. Though, Barry reasoned with himself, she did have a reason to be mad. He had hurt Caitlin. And, no one protected Caitlin more fiercely than her doppelganger. Not even himself.

"Really?" Killer Frost asked skeptically. "Because it seems like she's mad because you kept yelling at her."

Barry sighed, folding his arms across his chest.

"What do you want me to say, Frost?" Barry muttered. Frost laughed that icy, cold laugh of hers' and Barry found himself missing Caitlin's warm laugh.

"Oh, I don't know, Barry. How about you're sorry for being such an idiot?" Killer Frost asked coldly.

"I'm sorry for being such an idiot," he whispered, and he was. He had never meant to hurt Caitlin with his anger; he just didn't want her out on the field. Not when so many things could go south. She had, undoubtedly, been the best thing to ever happen to him. The thought that she could get hurt or worse left him terrified to the core.

"Hmm," Killer Frost hummed, eyeing him. "I wish I could believe that."

Barry rolled his eyes. "Well, you should. It's the truth."

"What were you shouting at her for in the first place?" Killer Frost snapped.

"One, I wasn't shouting at her. I was just talking in a raised voice. Two, I don't see how that's any of your concern," Barry muttered, hating how petulant his voice sounded, even to him. Killer Frost's eyes flashed dangerously again.

"One, you were shouting at her. Or, Caity wouldn't have felt so threatened. Two, when it comes to her, everything is my business," Killer Frost replied in a clipped tone. Barry marveled at how the two women had started to seamlessly work together. Gone were the days when they fought one another. Now, Killer Frost would do whatever it took to make sure her doppelganger didn't get hurt. And, Caitlin would do whatever it took to make sure Killer Frost wasn't going into a mission blindly. Barry should have known to never try and take that away from them.

Sighing, he thought his words through, choosing them with care. Nodding his head, he began to speak, weighing each word carefully.

"I don't want Caitlin out on the field," he said quietly.

"That's stupid," Killer Frost snapped, rolling her eyes.

"I wouldn't expect you to understand," Barry sighed. Killer Frost wasn't having it, however.

"You're right, Allen. I don't understand why you don't want her out on the field. You're inadvertently saying you don't want me out on the field. Which is stupid because I save the day more often than you," Killer Frost stated plainly.

No arguing with her there, Barry thought to himself.

"And, what if you get hurt? Which, inadvertently means Caitlin is hurt," Barry challenged, and Killer Frost glared at him.

"One, I can handle myself. Two, do you really think I'd let something happen to Caity? Three, this over protectiveness you have for her needs to stop. It's not doing you any favors," Killer Frost said.

Barry sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose again.

"I know," he mumbled, fight draining out of him for the second time. He was suddenly tired and wishing for a chance to apologize to Caitlin properly. Perhaps Killer Frost noticed, because the fight seemed to drain out of her, too.

"Quit being an idiot, Allen," she said calmly. Barry looked at her for a long moment, before eventually nodding.

"See you out on the field, Frost," he said quietly, and she smirked, seemingly satisfied. She shifted then, bringing Caitlin back. Caitlin stared at him for a long moment, apprehensive, before sighing and walking into Barry's arms, which were open. He wrapped them around her, rubbing her back a little.

"I'm sorry," he murmured.

"You and Frost have a nice chat?" Caitlin asked softly, and he chuckled.

"You could say that," he said, and she matched his laughter. Barry thought over his words, before clearing his throat.

"It's not that I don't want you out on the field, Caitlin," he began. "It's that I worry something will happen to you."

Caitlin shook her head. "You can't protect me forever, you know. And, you sure as hell can't stop Killer Frost from fighting alongside you. She wants to. She's determined to help."

"She does help," Barry replied with conviction. "You help."

Caitlin smiled.

"So, quit being an idiot and let us help you carry some of the weight that's on your shoulders, superhero," she teased. Barry chuckled softly, before brushing his lips across her forehead, cheek, corner of her lip, and finally her lips.

"Deal," he said quietly. Caitlin hummed, nestling herself further into his arms, and he knew they'd be alright.

They always were.

Fin.

Author's note: Anon, I hope you liked! Prompts accepted in the comments. Xxx


	72. Chapter 72

AUTHOR'S NOTE: DON'T READ IF YOU HAVE YET TO SEE LAST NIGHT'S EPISODE.

A few of you have requested a prompt based off Caitlin. Hope you like it.

Caitlin was in shock. Numb. The one part of herself that she felt was contributing towards the greater good was gone. She didn't know what to think, feel, or do. She was simply just existing.

"Caitlin?" A voice called, and she blinked. Looking down, she spotted Cisco's concerned face staring up at her from where he was crouched in front of the chair she was currently sitting in.

"Are you alright?" Cisco asked quietly. She licked her lips, trying to form a sentence. That proved to be even too difficult for her so just shrugged a shoulder. He rubbed the pad of his thumb over her knuckles in comforting strokes.

"We'll get her back," he said softly. Caitlin felt tears come to her eyes and blinked them back to the best of her ability. She glanced at the note she was gripping in her left hand tightly; the last one Killer Frost wrote to her. Sighing, she nodded her head a little.

"Alright," she whispered, voice hoarse from lack of use. She hadn't talked for the passed couple of hours. She barely acknowledged Barry when he said he'd be back later; she barely acknowledged anyone. She felt as if the Thinker had taken a part of her away. And, he had.

"C'mon, I'll drive you home," Cisco said, standing up and holding a hand out for her to grasp. She quickly shook her head, tucking her hands into her ribcage.

"I've got some work I need to finish for the night. I'll just head home after," she murmured. Cisco studied her, taking in her resolute expression, before sighing and nodding his head.

"Take care of yourself, alright?" Cisco asked quietly, and she nodded mutely. He squeezed her shoulder, before tucking is hair behind his ears and walking out of the labs. It was a subdued evening all around, Caitlin thought. She had lost a piece of her, and the team had lost Ralph. Ralph, whom had wanted to do nothing more than protect them. She blinked back tears for a second time, pushing down the lump that rapidly rose in her throat. She stood up, brushing her hands over the fabric of her pencil skirt, before making her way to her desk, where her supplies was.

She, if possible, had to come up with a way to bring Killer Frost back. She knew the two women needed each other. She spotted a note out of the corner of her eye and looked at it. Fingers tracing over the sticky note, she read the words scribbled on it.

Caity, thanks for trusting me to take care of us. I know I might not always put it into the right words, but you're the best part about me. Thanks for giving me the chance to prove I'm good, too. -KF

Caitlin stared at the words, feeling an ache in her heart. She wasn't sure how long she stood there, staring at the note, but soon enough, her shoulders were shaking. She raised a hand to her mouth to push back the sob that threatened to tumble out of her. She wasn't sure why she was taking this so hard. Perhaps it had to do with the fact that, eventually, everyone she'd come to care about always left her.

"Caitlin?" A soft voice called, and she quickly ran a hand over her face, wiping away any tears, before turning around and coming face to face with Barry.

"Barry," she replied, looking at him inquisitively.

"Are you crying?" Barry asked softly, and she laughed a little.

"Guilty," she muttered. He walked to her, and hesitated, before squeezing her shoulder gently. They had always danced a fine line of what they could've been. Cisco had been encouraging her to tell him her feelings for a couple of years now, but she always held back, in fear of how he'd react.

"What's wrong?" Barry asked quietly. "Is it because of Ralph?"

That question brought a whole new round of tears. "No, but that's not helping."

Barry nodded, sighing. "Yeah, it's not helping me, either."

She stared at him, wondering if she should add more weight to his shoulders. Just as she had decided not to, he spoke up.

"What else is it?" Barry asked, and she sighed.

"It's not your problem," she murmured, turning her back on him. Her eyes landed on another note, and she sighed again.

"Please, tell me. I want to help. I need to help. I feel so useless," Barry muttered, and she didn't have to work hard to hear the pain in his voice. For as much as she was hurting, she realized he was hurting, too. He had to be. To witness Ralph's death and not be able to do anything about it…she wouldn't wish that on her worst enemy.

"Cait?" Barry inquired, and she nodded.

"Uh, when the Thinker touched me tonight, some dark matter transferred to me," she began, but was cut off by Barry's gasp.

"You have dark matter? No. No. The Thinker isn't taking you from us, too. I won't allow it. We need to talk to Cisco. Harry. Someone," he said firmly. He got ready to walk off, and Caitlin stilled him with a touch to his shoulder.

"It's okay. It didn't come into contact with me," she said quietly. Barry's brow furrowed for a moment, before smoothing out.

"Killer Frost?" Barry asked quietly. Caitlin chuckled humorlessly.

"Bingo," she whispered. She fiddled with her hands, staring unseeingly past them while she thought. Barry brought her back to the present moment with a squeeze on her shoulder.

"I'm sorry," he said softly, and she shrugged a shoulder.

"Shouldn't really bother me," she muttered.

"But, it does. And that's okay," Barry said with conviction.

She looked at him, tears hot and thick in her throat.

"I mean, it wasn't even like we were close, you know?" Caitlin asked, desperate to ease some of the pain she felt inside her chest; desperate for someone to understand.

"But, we were getting there. We helped each other. We looked after each other. And now, she's gone. And…and I don't know what to do," she whispered, closing her eyes.

Barry was silent for several moments, and Caitlin suddenly understood how he must've felt during every mission: trying his hardest to hold the weight of the world on his shoulders. Because, that's exactly what it felt like for her. She was trying to hold herself up with the absence of her doppelganger. She knew she had to be strong for the team, especially Barry. But, she really just wanted one night to grieve her loss.

"We'll get her back," Barry said firmly, and she opened her eyes.

"What?" Caitlin asked.

"We'll get her back, Caitlin," he repeated.

"How?" Caitlin mumbled.

"I'm not sure yet, but we will. You two work in sync with one another. You need each other. You need her to help fight crime, and she needs you to help balance out her iciness. You're a balancing act for each other. And, we're going to get her back," he promised. She looked at him, searching his face for several long moments, before eventually nodding.

"Thank you," she said.

"You're not ever going to lose someone you love again," he said. She stared at him for a moment more, before brushing her lips across his cheek gently.

"Don't lose the heroism you have inside of you," she whispered. "Don't let Ralph's death be for nothing."

It was his turn to close his eyes, and she squeezed his shoulder.

"It's okay," she whispered comfortingly, and he nodded.

"I know," he whispered. "I know."

Caitlin, not sure how they were meant to heal after this, knew they were going to heal together. Help hold each other up. Because, they both knew what it meant to lose pieces of themselves that they cherished. And, the strength they'd get from one another would be the reason Caitlin kept putting one foot in front of the other and pushing onward.

Fin.

Author's note: For the sake of this oneshot, I'm changing how I wrote Ralph in one of my other ones. It just seemed more fitting. Enjoy. Prompts accepted in the comments. Have a couple to get to.


	73. Chapter 73

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Another prompt based off last episode. Don't read if you haven't seen it yet.

Barry listened to the comms intently as Caitlin said she found who they were looking for, but he was running fast. Chuckling slightly, Barry prepared himself to catch the latest bus meta human. It wasn't that they were trying to hurt him; quite the opposite. They wanted to help him, get him away before Devoe found him. Just then, the man in question came whizzing passed Barry and Ralph, with Caitlin hurrying after him.

Barry ran to catch up with them, stopping their bus meta. After explaining the situation to him, he was much more willing to comply with what team Flash needed. However, Barry was confused when he talked about the samurai with the sword. He shared a dumbfounded look with Caitlin, noticing that she looked equally as confused. Just as he was about to ask who he was talking about, Caitlin shot forward, flying away from them.

Slowing down time, Barry looked around, spotting the samurai. He had stabbed Caitlin viciously. Hearing her pained gasp, Barry felt his heart drop into his stomach. He sped around, incapacitating the samurai, then hurtling towards Caitlin as she fell back down to the earth. Catching her, he slowed down again long enough to tell Ralph to meet them at Star Labs. Chancing a glance at Caitlin, he noted that she was unconscious. Panic gripping him in a tenacious hold, he ran, faster than he ever had before, back to Star Labs, praying she'd make it.

XXX

By the time Barry made it back to Star Labs, Caitlin was bleeding profusely. Rushing into the medical bay, he placed Caitlin down on the bed, shouting for the others to meet him in there. Cisco came hurtling into the cortex, just as Iris hurried in herself.

"What happened?" Cisco demanded in a panicked voice, eyes on his best friend.

"The samurai," Barry uttered, looking at the cut on Caitlin's shoulder. He winced at how swollen it was; angry, purple discoloration wrapping around the wound. He glanced at her face, noting she hadn't woken up yet.

"We have to sew it up, stop the bleeding," Barry muttered.

"I don't know how to," Cisco uttered, panic still clear in his voice.

"I do," Iris volunteered, and Barry looked at her in surprise.

"You do?" Barry questioned, and she nodded, hurriedly going to get supplies.

"The night of the bachelor party, Killer Frost made an appearance, and Amunet beat her pretty badly. I helped Caitlin stitch up her wounds," Iris informed them. Barry felt his hand flex, hating Amunet even more. Caitlin hadn't told him that, but now was not the time to wonder why; they needed to get the bleeding to stop.

"Why isn't Killer Frost healing her?" Cisco asked, trying to stop the bleeding with a towel he pressed tightly against the cut. "Doesn't she appear when she feels threatened?"

Barry shrugged. "An excellent question, but one I don't have the answer to."

"Watch out, Cisco," Iris said, and Cisco moved around to the other side, holding the towel against his best friend's shoulder from this angle. Barry, who felt helpless, was trying not to think about the other time Caitlin was brutally stabbed. It was when Abra Kadabra came to Star Labs. Luckily, she was awake then, able to walk Julian through the surgery. He had, (and still did), marveled at her ability to stay awake during her own surgery. Her sheer determination to make sure she aided Julian during the surgery left him awestruck with pride.

He hadn't really told anybody about his growing feelings. Yes, he had the sinking suspicion Iris knew, especially after he had called off their wedding. True, Joe wasn't particularly happy about that, but Iris said she understood, giving him a knowing look and sympathetic pat on the shoulder. The two people had remained close friends to this day. He knew he needed to tell Caitlin, but something always held him back. Fear of her being in the line of fire when it came to other meta humans. Now, as he watched her fight for her life, he wished had had told her.

He grabbed her hand, rubbing comforting strokes against her knuckles.

"Hang in there," he whispered, so low no one heard him.

As Iris meticulously worked on each stitch, making sure they were even and straight, Barry watched on in fear. This wouldn't have happened if Caitlin had gone with Cisco. He hadn't questioned her going out into the field with him at the time, knowing that if things went south, Killer Frost would surely make an appearance. Barry nearly snorted. Look how well that turned out.

"Guys, the bleeding isn't stopping," Cisco uttered, and Barry felt his heart clenching in fear.

"Barry, I need you to come hold the towel," Iris instructed, and he looked up at her. They looked at each other, communicating with their eyes. Barry was begging her to make sure Caitlin survived this, and Iris was asking him to trust her. After a moment more of staring at each other, Barry nodded his head, hurrying to Caitlin's other side. He relieved Cisco of his task, pressing the towel against Caitlin's shoulder tightly.

He looked at her, noting her face drained of color. She looked peaceful, however, like she could be sleeping. Too bad Barry knew otherwise. As he held the towel, he thought over the stabbing that occurred last year, and found himself wishing she was awake now, walking Iris through the surgery. That way, at least he could hear her voice and know she was determined to prove she was alright.

Eventually, Iris sewed up the last bit of her skin, finally getting all the bleeding to stop. She taped a piece of gauze over the wound, then placed her arm into a sling gently. Cisco sighed in relief, and Barry felt some of the tension that had wrapped around his heart in a tenacious grip loosen slightly. He looked back at Caitlin's face, noting some of the color had returned, and matched Cisco's sigh of relief. Iris threw away all the supplies, before looking at Barry.

"I've got to get back to the cortex; one of you should stay with her, make sure she's okay when she wakes up," she murmured. Barry nodded his head.

"I'll do it," he offered, and Iris smiled slightly, before looking at Cisco, and Ralph, who had been standing in the corner to stay out of the way.

"C'mon guys, let's go come up with a way to stop a samurai," she encouraged them.

"A samurai," Cisco muttered, rolling his eyes. "What's next, a dinosaur?"

"Been there, done that, man," Ralph replied, and Cisco looked at him.

"Do I even want to know?" Cisco asked, and Ralph laughed, shaking his head.

"Nope."

Barry shook his head at his friend's antics, before pulling a chair up to Caitlin's bed, sitting down next to her. He waited for her to wake up, content to just watch her until that moment. Her steady heart beating on the monitor is what soothed him most.

XXX

Caitlin eventually came to. Barry watched as her nose scrunched up, causing her eyes to crinkle, before opening.

"Hey, you," Barry murmured, smiling at her.

"What happened?" Caitlin asked, looking down at her arm.

"You got stabbed. Again." Barry muttered.

"Second time work out any better for me than the first time?" Caitlin asked.

"Well, Killer Frost didn't make an appearance and cause destruction," Barry joked, and Caitlin laughed weakly.

"At least there's that," she murmured, and he chuckled softly.

"How are you feeling?" Barry asked his friend.

"Tired," she mumbled sleepily, eyebrows pinched together in the middle.

Hesitating only for a moment, Barry rubbed his thumb along her brow, smoothing it out. "Try to stay awake for a while, alright? You can sleep tonight."

Caitlin nodded. "Okay."

They fell silent then, with Barry studying her. The way Iris looked at him flashed in his mind's eye, and he took a deep breath.

"You really scared me today, you know?" Barry asked quietly, and Caitlin nodded her head.

"I scared myself," she admitted honestly. "But, I am sorry. And, I'm fine."

Barry nodded his head, eyes never leaving hers'. He searched her face for a moment longer, before bending down and brushing his lips against hers'. She looked at him in surprise as he pulled back.

"Was that okay?" Barry asked apprehensively, and she smiled warmly.

"Yes," she murmured. "But, I'm confused. I'm not Iris."

Barry matched her smile. "It was always you."

That caused Caitlin's smile to grow, and for Barry's heart to flutter inside his chest warmly. He didn't know where they were going to go from here, but he was excited to find out. He held her hand, simply content to sit next to her, making sure she was alright. And, that was enough for him.

Fin.

Author's note: Anon requested different way the stabbing happened. Hope you like it. Prompts accepted in the comments. (Have a couple I plan on getting to, just wanted to get the episode ones up). Enjoy! Xxx


	74. Chapter 74

Caitlin was tired. So very, very tired. She knew that without the Flash on their side, the city was susceptible to more risk. It had been three weeks since Barry's arrest, and the city was feeling the fallout. True, Vibe and Killer Frost worked their hardest to protect the city, they needed the Flash to complete their trio. Sighing, she shut off her tablet, before looking at Cisco, who, too was closing for the night.

"I'm going to head home," she murmured, and he nodded.

"Nice job out on the field today," he replied, and she shrugged a shoulder.

"Killer Frost should be the one you're thanking, not me," she reminded him. He rolled his eyes.

"One in the same," he commented nonchalantly. They shared a quick hug then, before heading out, splitting ways to climb into their respective cars. As Caitlin began the drive home, she thought about Barry, and how he was holding up in prison. She wondered if he was lonely, or if any of the other inmates had taken him under their wings. Not sure how she felt about that, she sighed, rolling her windows down and letting the crisp, cool air fan her hair out around her.

XXX

The next day found Caitlin standing in front of the prison. She had opted to come see Barry today, something she hadn't told anyone else about. She knew Iris was finding it hard to see him, having stopped going as often as she originally planned on going. While not angry with her, Caitlin couldn't quite fathom how she could've claimed to love Barry so much, and yet, still avoided seeing him. So, maybe she was a little angry.

After walking in and checking in with the guard, she went and sat down at the window that faced the prisoners, waiting for Barry. When he shuffled in front of the glass a few moments later, Caitlin noted his look of surprise as he sat down. Picking up the phone, she smiled encouragingly at him.

"Hey," she greeted him.

"Hi. Caitlin, what are you doing here?" Barry asked. She shrugged a shoulder, not sure what to say. Sighing, she nodded her head.

"I figured I'd come check on you, see how you're doing," she replied quietly, searching his face. She wondered how prison treated him. Was he being treated fairly? Were the people nice? Was he getting enough to eat? Sleep? The list of worries wrapped around her heart tightly and she had to remind herself to breathe.

"I'm doing alright," he replied, and Caitlin heard some of the warmth that had been lacking at Star Labs in his voice. It caused her to smile softly.

"Good, I'm glad," she murmured passionately. Barry searched her eyes, nodding a little.

"How're things at Star Labs?" Barry asked quietly, and Caitlin hunched inward, cradling the phone between her ear and shoulder. She sighed.

"We could really use you back there," she admitted honestly.

"I know," Barry murmured, and Caitlin noticed how sad he looked in that moment. She cleared her throat.

"They're kind to you here? Treat you right?" Caitlin checked, biting her lip anxiously. Barry smiled slightly at her.

"They treat me fine, Cait," he murmured. Not detecting any hints of dishonesty betraying itself in his voice, Caitlin sighed in relief.

"Good," she breathed out, feeling some of the tension in her neck dissipating. They stayed talking for a bit longer, until their time was up.

"Thanks for coming," Barry said, and she nodded.

"I'm only sorry Iris stopped," she muttered, but he shrugged, face impassive.

"Don't be," he replied lightly. "Will you come back?"

"I will," she promised, and she did. The next day right after that.

XXX

Caitlin visited Barry every day, bringing with her gentle words of encouragement. Barry hadn't dropped any weight; didn't look more exhausted than he usually did. That caused Caitlin to feel more relaxed. As his personal care physician, she cared about him; wanted him healthy. It was only natural after knowing him for a handful of years.

"So, today I brought you comic books," Caitlin grinned, holding up the handful she had stopped by and picked up on her way. Barry grinned.

"Is that Superman?" Barry asked excitedly, and she chuckled.

"I hope you like it," she grinned, and he nodded enthusiastically.

"He's my favorite, how'd you know?" Barry asked, and Caitlin smiled.

"Lucky guess," she laughed.

"Thanks," he murmured, dipping his head towards her. She dipped hers' back.

"How're you sleeping?" Caitlin asked curiously.

"Surprisingly, well," Barry promised, and she nodded, satisfied.

"How're things with Devoe?" Barry asked quietly, and she sighed.

"Not good," she admitted honestly. "We're still working on a way to get you out of here. The right way."

Barry held his hand up to the glass and, after a moment's hesitation, Caitlin placed hers' against her side of the glass.

"You'll find a way," he murmured.

"Without a doubt," she promised quietly.

XXX

When Caitlin came back the next week, it was to spot a tired looking Barry.

"All I know is Frost and Vibe tried to convince you to leave with them last night," she uttered, staring at him worriedly. He sighed, placing his hand against the glass, she automatically reciprocating with her own.

"I told Vibe it wasn't the right way to get me out of here," he said apologetically. Caitlin knew he wasn't stupid; knew that Barry knew she was desperate to have him back at Star Labs with them. Something had shifted between them each day she came and visited him. Some days, she brought things, others, she just brought her company. He was just happy to see her, and she him. She sighed, nodding.

"You're a good man, Barry Allen," she whispered, rubbing the glass. He smiled softly.

"Find a way to get me out of here, Caitlin Snow. Let me show you what you've come to mean to me," he said quietly. She nodded, blinking back tears. The guard walked in just then, and they hung up their phones, and Caitlin watched as Barry was guided out of the room. She'd find a way to get him out. She would.

XXX

In what was possibly the most surprising outcome of all, it was Ralph who had gotten Barry out of jail. Not anyone else. Caitlin smiled as she waited outside of the prison, waiting for him to come to her. When she spotted him, she watched as his face morphed into a grin and they were soon running towards each other.

"You're free!" Caitlin cried, wrapping her arms around him.

"You did it," he whispered.

"Ralph did it," she corrected, but he just laughed, picking her up and spinning her around.

"Where to now that you're a free man again, Barry?" Caitlin asked.

"To the ends of the earth with you, Caitlin," he murmured, kissing her gently. Caitlin grinned as they walked out of the courtyard, hands held. She'd go to the ends of the earth with him any day.

Fin.

Author's note: Prompt about Caitlin visiting him in prison. Fluffiness cause Snowbarry is adorable. Prompts accepted in comments. Enjoy. Xxx


	75. Chapter 75

Author's note: This prompt is from Archive of Our Own.

Cisco didn't know why it took him forever to understand the obvious; to understand what was staring him directly in the face. He watched for the umpteenth time as Barry's hand lingered on Caitlin's arm as he pulled away from hugging her. He chuckled quietly to himself as Caitlin remained oblivious. If the two idiots weren't going to do anything about the feelings laying between them, then Cisco decided he'd take it upon his own self to help them out. At least, to nudge them gently in the direction of one another. Well, he'd try to be gentle; however, his excitement over the fact that his two best friends liked each other left him excited. He wasn't sure how gentle he'd end up being.

"So, Caitlin," Cisco called casually, smirking as Caitlin jumped, as if she had been scalded.

"Hmm?" Caitlin asked, shaking her head. Cisco stifled a chuckle.

"I need your help with something," he said, and she nodded, sending Barry an apologetic smile.

"Sure thing, Cisco," she murmured, following him away from the rest of the group. When they had made it a significant amount away from everyone, Caitlin looked at Cisco.

"What did you need?" Caitlin asked, and Cisco's mind faltered. He had momentarily forgotten he needed a reason for pulling her away from everyone. Licking his lips, he nodded his head.

"I was just wondering: can you come to my apartment for dinner tonight?" Cisco asked. Caitlin stared at him, eyebrow crooked.

"That's what you needed? To know if I could come eat at your place?" Caitlin quizzed. "Why couldn't you ask that in front of everyone else?"

Palms sweating, Cisco thought fast.

"Uh, because I didn't want to offend anyone else by not inviting them," he replied. Yeah, that worked as far as lame excuses went. Caitlin looked at him, skeptic, before smiling.

"Alright," she conceded, and Cisco let out a sigh of relief. After finalizing the plans with her, she walked away. Cisco waited until she was completely gone before walking over to Barry. Once he reached the speedster, he looked at him.

"Dinner, my place tonight. You in?" Cisco asked abruptly, no greeting.

"Hello to you too, man," Barry laughed. Cisco made a noncommittal jerk of his head, waiting for the speedster to answer his question. Barry nodded a moment later.

"Sure, we haven't had guys night in a while," he commented. Guys night. Perfect excuse to get Barry to agree to go.

"Yeah, well, now's the time to rectify that," Cisco replied, clapping Barry on the shoulder.

"Dinner's at seven, don't be late," he added, before walking away, rubbing his hands together. Part one of get Snowbarry to realize their feelings was underway.

XXX

By the time Cisco had gotten home, he had wanted to cook dinner for his two friends. Something that said, "look at us, we're romantic. Let's date." However, Cisco had forgotten the miniscule detail that he didn't know how to cook. He was reminded of that fact when he set his smoke alarm off not even ten minutes later.

"No, no, don't do that," he exclaimed, waving his broom around his detector, trying to get it to shut off. Just then, the doorbell rang.

"Ah," Cisco sighed, running to go answer it.

"Everything alright?" Barry asked, and he nodded.

"Just, minor technical difficulties," he muttered. Luckily, with a few more swats with the broom, the alarm stopped blaring.

"So, pizza?" Barry asked after looking at the burnt chicken in the stove.

"Pizza," Cisco muttered.

XXX

The pizza showed up at the same time Caitlin did.

"Barry? What are you doing here?" Caitlin asked, after bringing the pizza inside Cisco's apartment.

Barry looked at her. "I could ask you the same thing."

Caitlin shrugged. "Well, Cisco said he wanted me over dinner tonight. He also said that he wasn't inviting anyone else."

"Did he now? That's funny. He said he wanted guys night," Barry replied, and they both turned to look at him. Disregarding the identical looks of confusion on their faces, Cisco popped open the lid of the pizza box.

"Well, we're all here, so lets just eat," he encouraged. After looking at him suspiciously once more, Caitlin complied, with Barry following suit. They each pulled out a slice of pizza and began eating.

"We need drinks," Cisco declared, and Caitlin looked up at him.

"You didn't get drinks?" Caitlin asked, and Cisco shrugged a shoulder.

"Didn't think about it," he replied nonchalantly.

"You knew we were eating dinner and you didn't think about getting drinks?" Barry asked, and Cisco would've been offended at his blatant disbelief if it wasn't for the fact that his two friends were right where he needed them. Standing up, he shrugged again.

"My bad, man," he replied. "I'm going to go down the street to the store. You two stay here, talk, enjoy yourselves."

Without so much as waiting for their responses, Cisco ducked away and out of his house. He knew that giving them at least fifteen minutes alone would give them ample opportunity to talk. He just hoped his two friends were as smart as he gave them credit for and would talk about the obvious feelings between them.

By the time he had killed some time at the store, he strolled back to his apartment, soda bottle clutched between his hands. When he let himself into his home a few moments later, it was quiet. Gulping, Cisco eased his way into the kitchen, not sure what he'd find. He didn't expect, however, to see Barry and Caitlin making out.

"Uh huh, no," Cisco exclaimed, dropping the bottle of soda. "You two may be my best friends and may have ended up talking the way I needed you to, but I so don't need to see you two kissing."

Caitlin and Barry jumped apart, looking around at Cisco. Caitlin was blushing profusely, while Barry looked amused.

"What do you mean, 'the way I needed you to', Cisco?" Barry asked. Cisco felt his neck grow warm.

"Uh, I, uh…I may have needed you two to realize you're hopelessly in love with one another," he mumbled. Caitlin blinked.

"You knew?" Caitlin asked.

"Everybody knew. Right down to Joe," Cisco clarified. Barry and Caitlin looked at each other, before laughing.

"Guess the cat's out of the bag," Barry commented idly, Caitlin nodding in response.

Cisco laughed at his two friends.

"You guys should've seen your faces when I walked in and caught you playing tonsil hockey," he remarked as he sat down next to them. Caitlin swatted him on the shoulder.

"Oh, quiet you," she muttered, cheeks still tinted pink.

"Its not like you had to interrupt as anyways," Barry added cheerfully. Cisco narrowed his eyes.

"Oh god, you two are going to make out everywhere now, aren't you?" Cisco demanded unhappily. Sharing a look with each other, Barry and Caitlin smirked.

"Yes," they replied simultaneously.

Cisco just groaned.

Fin.

Author's note: Short one about Cisco setting them up. Hard to write in any perspective other than Caitlin, to be honest. Hope you like it regardless. Prompts accepted in the comments.


	76. Chapter 76

Caitlin listened to the comms intently, hoping Barry would indicate where he was. She knew she should've never let him go out on a mission on his own, but, well, without her powers, she wasn't exactly sure how she could help. She had opted to stay back and be his eyes for him. She steadily tracked his dot on the map, watching his vitals should they decide to crash at any given moment.

"Make a left, Flash," she instructed, also keeping a strong eye on their current meta. She wasn't stupid; she knew Barry was determined to catch this meta and put her in the pipeline. Ever since Ralph had died, he pushed himself to be the captain they needed. Not Iris, or Cisco, or Harry, but himself. Caitlin watched his dot intently, tracking it as it made a sharp left.

"She's only a couple of streets away from you, you've got her," Caitlin said, smiling slightly. Her and Barry…she wasn't sure what to call them. Friends? Partners? Whatever the name, she knew they were something. Two people who meant something to each other. Barry had been the one to tell her they'd find a way to bring Killer Frost back. And, that's exactly what the two of them worked on during their down time. Finding ways to figure out where she had hidden herself.

"Uh, guys," came Barry's panicked voice, and it shook Caitlin out of her thoughts. She focused her attention back on the task at hand: getting Barry home safely.

"What is it, Flash?" Caitlin demanded, fear coiling tightly in her belly. He only ever sounded that panicked when something was about to go south and go south fast.

"She can shoot daggers out of her hands," he uttered, and Caitlin felt her heart stop. That was new.

"Cool," Cisco murmured, and Caitlin shot him a look.

"Uh, my bad. Not cool. Nope. Uncool ability," he hastened to add, and Caitlin shook her head at him.

"Not helping, Cisco," she hissed, before focusing back on Barry.

"Flash, can you dodge the daggers while we get Vibe to open a breach?" Caitlin asked seriously, looking at Cisco once more. He was nodding his head and putting on his glasses.

"I-I think so?" Barry asked, sounding unsure of himself. Caitlin sighed. This is why she wanted Killer Frost back. So, she could help aid him in the mission.

"Barry, just try to outrun the daggers. You're a speedster. Rely on your speed," Caitlin instructed calmly, trying to keep a level head.

"Okay," Barry exhaled, and she watched as his dot began zooming across the monitor. It wasn't too long before she heard a pained yell.

"Barry?" Caitlin demanded, fear pooling in her stomach.

"I stumbled a little, lost my balance; she got me," he muttered, and Caitlin didn't have to work hard to hear the unsteadiness of his breathing.

"Vibe, go. Now," she said through gritted teeth. Cisco nodded and opened a breach, running through it a second later. Caitlin ran to the medical bay, pushing things aside to reach the bed. Cisco returned a moment later, helping Barry stumble inside.

"Get him over here, quickly!" Caitlin called, and Harry and Cisco carried him to the bed, their footsteps a rushed frenzy. Caitlin tried not to notice the lack of color on Barry's face as she looked at the stab wound.

"Oh, god, it was a poisonous dagger," she uttered. She inhaled shakily and worked on stopping the blood first.

"What can we do?" Cisco demanded.

"Get me towels, lots of them," Caitlin replied urgently, ripping open an antiseptic pack with her teeth. She rubbed it all around Barry's wound and he gave a strangled cry.

"Easy, sweetheart," she murmured. "It'll be over soon."

Just then, Harry and Cisco came running back in, arms holding towels. Caitlin yanked one out of Cisco's pile, and pressed it into the wound, stopping the blood for a minute. Only to have it increased tenfold.

"Caitlin, it's not working," Cisco said desperately.

"I can see that, thanks," Caitlin hissed.

"Cisco, tie my hair up in this ponytail," she instructed, roughly pulling off the one that was resting around her wrist. Once he had put her hair up, Caitlin felt like she had a bit more room to work with. She pressed the towel even more firmly into his side. It still wasn't enough to stop the blood. She needed both hands to work on the stitches and for someone else to hold the towel.

"Harry, come here. Quickly," she asked, and Harry was next to her side in no time.

"What can I do, Snow?" Harry asked calmly.

"Hold the towel against the wound; I need to stitch up the skin," she explained hurriedly. Harry nodded and pressed the towel firmly against Barry's skin. With both of her hands free, Caitlin began sewing up his skin, fingers slipping a little in the blood.

"Take a breath, Snow," Harry instructed her quietly, and she did just that. If she was going to save Barry's life, she couldn't be a panicked mess. Inhaling, she focused on the stitches. It was just as she was getting ready to sew the last one, did the heart monitor flatline. Dread in her stomach, Caitlin ignored the last stitch and got the paddle boards.

"Okay, baby, you and me," Caitlin muttered, ignoring Cisco and Harry for the time being. She shocked him once, twice, three times before his heart jumpstarted again. The rhythmic sound of his heart beating was music to her ears and she nearly cried. But she didn't. She had a job to finish.

"Harry, hold the towel in while I finish the last stitch," she said quietly, working once more. Once the last stitch had been sewn, and she could detect no hints of poison in his blood stream, Caitlin exhaled.

"Good job, Cait," Cisco praised, but she shook her head.

"Hardly, I nearly let him die," she snorted. Harry squeezed her on the shoulder.

"But, you didn't," he reminded her firmly.

After making sure his breathing wasn't irregular, she sent Harry and Cisco home, saying she was going to stay overnight and make sure there weren't any complications, should they arise.

"Get some sleep yourself, Snow," Harry said, before following Cisco out of the cortex. She rolled her eyes as she pulled a chair up to Barry's side. She wouldn't be sleeping anytime soon, not if she had a patient to monitor.

As she watched him throughout the night, monitoring his breathing, she allowed herself to cry. What ifs kept swirling around in her brain as the tears came and went silently. What if he had died? What if she hadn't been able to save him? It was almost too much to bear. She couldn't, wouldn't think about a life without him in it. It was even worse than a life without Ronnie, and she never thought that'd be possible. That she could come to love someone more than she had loved Ronnie. It was around three in the morning when he started stirring.

"Hey, you," Caitlin whispered when he opened his eyes. He stared at her for a moment, before smiling.

"Thank you," he murmured, but she shook her head, letting the tears fall once more.

"Don't thank me," she choked out. "I nearly couldn't save you."

"Hey, shh," Barry murmured, sitting up a little. She pushed him back down on the bed.

"You need to stay still," she said.

"Then come lay by me," he replied stubbornly. She almost shook her head but spotted the look in his eyes and caved. Climbing on the bed, she curled herself up next to him.

"Have you been awake all night?" Barry asked, carding his fingers through her hair. She made a noncommittal jerk of her head.

"Caitlin, you need sleep," Barry said softly.

"No, I need to make sure you don't die," she whispered.

"I didn't. I won't. Thanks to you," he murmured. Caitlin focused on the steadiness of his heart beat; nice and strong. She nodded.

"You can't do something like that again, okay?" Caitlin asked quietly.

"Do what, sweetheart?" Barry asked softly.

"Nearly die. I can't lose someone again," she whispered, heart aching at the thought of losing another man she loved.

"Oh, baby," he murmured. "I'm not going anywhere, I promise."

That was enough to soothe Caitlin's fear. She nodded, before closing her eyes. His gentle singing was what lulled her to sleep, finally feeling at peace since the attack.

Fin.

Author's note: Prompt about Barry nearly dying. Hope you like it. Prompts accepted in the comments. And, I'm thinking about doing oneshots based on Cisco, Caitlin, Barry, and Hartley in college. Snowbarry the pairing of course. What do you guys think? I'll accept prompts for them, as well. Xxx


	77. Chapter 77

Author's note: Anon requested an explosion at Star Labs. Barry's P.O.V. (Also, we'll be doing the other couple of prompts I have to get to, so no worries!)

Barry didn't think the ringing in his ears would ever go away. He was disoriented, to say the least and, as he sat there, trying to figure what the hell happened, he watched as Cisco stood up, stumbling towards him.

"You alright, man?" Cisco asked, shaking his shoulder.

"What?" Barry asked quietly. Well, he thought he was quiet, but the way Cisco winced clued him into the fact that he might have been shouting.

"Man, no need to shout," Cisco said, and Barry chuckled slightly.

"Sorry," he replied, trying to lower his volume. He looked around and spotted Harry, and Joe, moving towards them as well.

"Everyone okay?" Joe asked, and they all nodded their heads.

"Yeah, just a bit of ringing in my ears," Barry said. He looked around and noticed who was missing.

"Hang on, where's Caitlin?" Barry asked urgently, trying to stand to his feet. Cisco helped him stand up, he too surveying the room.

"I don't think she was in the cortex when the explosion went off," he muttered, panic etched across his face. Just then, their meta who caused the explosion in the first place groaned, sitting up. Barry flashed to him, putting the power dampening cuffs on him, before looking at Cisco and Harry.

"Get him in the pipeline," he said seriously, trying not to let the fear he felt claw out of him. Their meta glared at him but remained quiet. He had a vendetta against Barry, something about him locking his sister in the pipeline the year prior. Watching his two colleagues walk him out of the room briefly, Barry returned his attention back on the task at hand: finding Caitlin.

"Caitlin?" Barry called, looking around the room. The cortex was covered top to bottom in debris; he'd have one hell of time shifting through all of it, looking for his friend. But, he'd do it without complaint because he knew she'd do it for him, without hesitation. He began shifting through the debris, utilizing his speed to help him work his way through it faster. After concluding she wasn't in the cortex, he hurried out of that part of the labs, and began searching through the other rooms.

By the time he reached the room that housed the treadmill, he felt his fear increase tenfold. He had yet to find her and was silently praying that perhaps she had left the labs altogether. Knowing in the pit of his stomach that she hadn't, he began searching this room.

"Caitlin? Cait, can you hear me?" Barry called, running around. He searched under all the debris, kicking pieces of the building out of his way. It was just as he was about to give up on this room and start the search over that he heard a low groan. He paused his running, eyes searching the room more thoroughly. He spotted a hand poking out from the debris and knew in his heart that it was his friend, buried underneath the rubble. He ran to her.

"Caitlin, hang on," he encouraged, and began shifting all the remains of the room. The more he moved out of the way, the more panicked he became. It wasn't until he moved the last piece of wood out of the way did he notice two things. One: Caitlin's arm was contorted at an awkward angle. The second, more pressing matter was that there was a piece of plywood protruding from her chest and a very large stain of blood pooling around it. Gasping, he dropped to his knees.

"Caitlin? Caitlin, can you hear me?" Barry asked softly. Her eyes were closed, brows pinched together in the middle. He knew by that look alone that the amount of pain she was in was unimaginable.

"I have to pick you up, alright?" Barry asked quietly.

"N-No," she groaned, but he didn't heed her pleas. He scooped her up, shushing her when she cried out in pain.

"Hang on," he murmured, flashing out of the room and back into the cortex and placed her on the bad in the bay.

"Guys! Quickly!" Barry shouted, pressing a towel against the wound. He stared at the piece of wood sticking out of her chest, gulping when he realized he didn't know if it had punctured an artery. By the look of the blood surrounding it, he didn't think it had but he didn't know for sure, he wasn't a doctor. Just then, Cisco ran to him, with Harry and Joe hot on his heels.

"Oh god," Cisco uttered, staring at his best friend.

"Don't just stand there and stare at her, Cisco," Barry snapped. "Help me stop the blood."

Cisco shot Caitlin one more panicked look before nodding his head. "What do you need me to do?"

"We need to remove the plywood," Barry muttered, staring at the wound. He wasn't happy with the crimson blood that was circling the piece of wood; not in the slightest. Cisco gulped.

"Can you-can you do it? I can hold a towel to the wound or something. I'm just scared of causing more damage," he muttered, and Barry looked at him, before cutting his eyes to the wound once more. He nodded his head a moment later.

"Yes, go grab a towel," he instructed. "Quickly."

Cisco ran off, with Barry staring at his friend. His heart was thumping harshly against his ribcage; beats uneven and hurried.

"Hang in there," he said quietly, pushing Caitlin's hair off her forehead. She groaned, trying to open her eyes.

"Open your eyes," Barry instructed, but she either wouldn't or couldn't. Instead, she reached out for Barry's hand, squeezing it weakly. He nodded.

"That's right, Caitlin," he encouraged. "Keep squeezing my hand. Tell me you're here with me, fighting like hell."

As she continued to squeeze his hand, Cisco ran back into the room, holding a towel.

"Alright, press it into her stab wound; try to stop the blood," Barry uttered quietly. Cisco nodded his head and did just that. Barry took a steadying breath.

"This part might hurt a bit, Cait," he said softly. "I need to pull out the piece of wood."

She didn't say anything, (not that he expected her to), but she did groan, nodding her head once. He inhaled shakily, and pulled out of the piece of wood, trying his best to not cry at the strangled gasp that left Caitlin's lips. Cisco pressed the towel against her chest as Barry looked at Harry.

"Harry, do you think you can stitch her up?" Barry asked urgently.

"I believe I can, Allen," he replied seriously, and Barry nodded, moving out of his way. Just as he reached the other side of the bed, he noticed Caitlin's eyes rolling into the back of her head and felt fear sink like a stone in the pit of his stomach.

"Caitlin? Caitlin?" Barry asked urgently, shaking her shoulder in panic.

"Allen, I need you to move," Harry said hurriedly, but he shook his head.

"No, I'm not leaving her," he snapped, but Joe just walked up to him, and guided him away from the bed.

"C'mon, son, we need to let Harry help her," he soothed, but Barry fought against him, determined to be with his friend. Joe was equally as stubborn as him, however, and held onto him with a tenacious grip. Before he knew it, Barry was outside of the cortex, standing in the hallway.

"Joe…Caitlin," he whispered, fear rooting him to the spot.

"I know, son, I know," Joe said softly, squeezing his shoulder comfortingly. "But, she's going to pull through. Caitlin Snow has been through a hell of a lot worse than this. You hold onto that."

Barry nodded, holding onto Joe's arm to keep himself steady. Joe guided him to the floor, sitting down next to him.

"Just, hang in there, alright, son?" Joe asked, and Barry nodded, numb to everything he was feeling. He locked himself away, in times of happiness with Caitlin. Her smile. Her gentle laughter. The fact that she never gave up on him, no matter how reckless he could be.

"I love her," he whispered, and Joe placed his hand on his shoulder.

"I know," he said quietly, and that's when the onslaught of tears came, fast and heavy. He didn't bother stopping them, just allowed Joe to sit with him while he cried, very much reminding himself of the scared kid he was whenever a thunderstorm shook Joe's house late at night. As he sat there, he thought about every possible thing that could go wrong, and that made the anxiety worse.

"Stop that, Barry," Joe scolded gently, and he looked at him.

"What?" Barry asked, hiccupping slightly.

"Thinking worst case scenario. Caitlin is a fighter; you remember that."

XXX

Eventually, Harry walked out, wiping his glasses on his shirt. Barry stood up, clutching onto Joe's arm for support.

"Is-is she alright?" Barry whispered.

"She's lost a lot of blood, but luckily her heart didn't stop again. She'll make a full recovery. She's sleeping now," Harry replied quietly, and Barry felt his knees shaking with relief. He nodded his head once.

"Thanks, Harry," he said, before walking into the cortex, not looking back once. Joe and Harry seemed wise enough to not follow him, and he was grateful. Right now, he just wanted some time with Caitlin by himself. He sat down in the chair next to the bed, taking in her appearance. Her left arm was in bandages and a sling; white gauze taped to her chest. She still looked breathtakingly beautiful, even bruised. He was content to just watch her sleep peacefully. So, he did just that.

XXX

It was several hours later that showed Caitlin coming to. Her eyebrows scrunched together, and she began mumbling.

"Hey, there," Barry said as soon as she opened her eyes. She stared at him for a moment, before looking down at her arm.

"Here was me hoping I'd never break another bone again," she chuckled weakly. Barry smiled softly.

"I'll sign your cast," he promised quietly. Caitlin looked at him.

"I…," she trailed off, looking lost. Barry inhaled shakily.

"I'm going to say something. Before I nearly lose the chance to say it again, alright?" Barry asked quietly, and she nodded. He traced his thumb across her undamaged arm and smiled slightly when she smiled.

"Today was close. Too close for comfort. I nearly lost you and you don't know how I feel. And, and I couldn't live with myself if you didn't," Barry began, staring at her. His eyes flickered all over her face, taking in the permanent bags underneath her eyes. She was always tired, it seemed. Then again, he reckoned, it was probably party of the job requirement. To be the doctor to one of the city's heroes, exhaustion simply came with the package.

"And, how do you feel?" Caitlin asked quietly, eyes locked on his.

"Like I love you," he whispered, tracing her cheekbone with the pad of his thumb. If they way her eyes crinkled in the corner because of her smile was anything to go by, Barry had said something inexplicably right.

"Good," Caitlin breathed. "Because, I love you too."

Barry stared at her for a long moment, taking in everything about her expression, before his face split into a watery grin.

"Yeah?" Barry asked hopefully.

"Yeah," Caitlin confirmed, chuckling gently. He nodded his head.

"Good, that's good," he murmured. "Now, please never terrify the life out of me again."

Caitlin released a full laugh, and he joined her.

"Deal," she murmured, eyes closing once more. It wasn't too long before she was asleep. Placing his lips on her forehead, he held them there for a moment, reveling in the fact that she was alive, and she loved him. He didn't need anything else. That was enough for him.

Fin.

Author's note: Prompts accepted in the comments. Have a few to get to. Hope you like, anon!


	78. Chapter 78

Author's note: Anon requested one where Barry finds out about Iris asking Caitlin where she's been the past six months. Hope you enjoy! Prompts accepted in the comments. Xxx

Barry watched as Caitlin ordered from their local takeout. She had been quiet today, extremely so. He wasn't sure what was bothering her, if anything was, but he wanted to know what to do so he could fix it. He watched as she clicked off her phone after placing their order, before turning to look at him.

"It'll be here in half an hour," she said, and he smiled.

"You know, I could've gone there and gotten it a lot quicker," he teased, and she laughed gently.

"Don't need to utilize your speed for everything," she reminded him. He noticed the way her laughter didn't reach her eyes and sighed.

"Are you alright?" Barry asked quietly, hating to see that she looked so despondent. She shrugged a shoulder, tight lipped smile gracing her features.

"I'm fine, just tired," she replied, indifferent to the concern that was etched across Barry's face, he noted. He studied her for a long moment, before eventually nodding.

"Alright," he conceded. "But, if you weren't alright, I'm here for you, you know."

Caitlin's smile was a little more genuine this time and it made Barry's heart ache a little bit less.

"I know," she murmured. She walked towards him and kissed him on his cheek gently. At the last moment, Barry turned his head, kissing her directly on the lips. She laughed slightly when they pulled apart.

"Sneaky," she said, and he smirked.

"The sneakiest," he replied, and she rolled her eyes.

"C'mon, dinner should be here soon," she murmured, tilting her head to her living room. He studied her for one more moment, before nodding.

"Alright," he said lightly, and followed her into her living room, where they would wait for their dinner. He pushed his concern to the back of his mind, not quite forgetting it, but holding off on pressing her to tell him what was wrong. For the time being, at least.

XXX

Barry watched as Caitlin retreated further into herself as the week progressed. He hated the way she shied away from everyone, getting locked inside her head. He knew what happened when she started carrying the weight of her world on her own. She'd become quiet, reserved. He also knew that if he didn't reach out to her soon, she'd disappear to a place he couldn't reach her altogether. Not alright with that in the slightest, he hatched a plan to get his girlfriend to talk to him.

He thought over the fact that they had been the ones to end up dating. True, he was engaged to Iris the year prior, the speed force had changed things; had changed him. He had been the one to go back to the bar Caitlin had found herself working at and had convinced her to come back to Star Labs. Much like the way he had convinced her to leave Mercury Labs during their second year of knowing each other. There was something about the two of them; something that a lot of people didn't understand. They worked well together, making sure the other person was never too hard on themselves. He knew that when Killer Frost had first surfaced, he let her down by not being there for her the way a true friend should. Something that he'd regret every day for the rest of his life.

Killer Frost. How interesting was it that the two women coexisted well with each other this time around? He never thought that'd be possible but wouldn't dream of taking Killer Frost away from his Caitlin. They needed each other; relied on one another. And, he'd never deny them that. Thinking about that caused him to look at his girlfriend. She was currently scrolling through her tablet, shoulders hunched inward. Studying her for a moment, he realized what was holding her up was her sheer determination to not let anyone down. She looked tired, exhausted, even. Nodding a little to himself, he made his way to her.

"Hey, you," he murmured, placing his hand on the small of her back.

"Hey yourself," she murmured, turning her head so they could connect their lips. Kissing Caitlin was nowhere near the same was kissing Iris. True, Iris was a great person to be in love with, Barry had just closed that chapter in his life. He sighed contentedly when they broke apart and rested his chin on her shoulder, wrapping his arms around her waist.

"You're tired," he stated.

"Hmm," she hummed, not replying in any other way to that declaration. He watched as she continued to scroll through her tablet, noting that it was his latest results that she was focused on. He marveled at the fact that she always found time to track his abilities, no matter the time, no matter the place. Kissing her neck, he gently took the tablet out of her hands, turning it off.

"We're going to get out of here, you're going to sleep some, and then I'd very much appreciate it if you tell me what's been bothering you for the past couple of weeks," he said. She sighed.

"Barry," she began, but he cut her off.

"Please," he whispered. She seemed to be thinking about his question, so he let her, giving her all the time, she needed. Eventually, she nodded her head.

"Alright," she murmured, and he grinned.

"Thank you," he breathed. He picked her up, making sure her arms were wrapped securely around his neck, then darted off, a flurry of electricity left in his wake.

XXX

He watched her as she slept, not feeling like sleeping himself. He knew that Caitlin went through states of insomnia, especially when stressed out, so just wanted to make sure she got some sleep. As he watched her, he watched the way her eyebrows scrunched together, cluing him into the fact that she wasn't having a pleasant dream. Not hesitating, he rubbed his thumb over her brow, smoothing it out, and sang softly. He watched in satisfaction as her face relaxed and she sighed contentedly. He wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her tightly into his body, content to let her sleep for as long as she wanted.

XXX

She eventually woke up, stretching a little, before sighing happily.

"I feel more rested," she hummed.

"Good," he murmured, kissing her hair line. She looked up at him, and he smiled down at her.

"How about you tell me what's been on your mind, sweetheart?" Barry asked. "I don't know how to help you if I don't know what's been bothering you."

She nodded, sitting up. He matched her movements, maneuvering them to where she was leaning into his side.

"It happened a few weeks ago," she murmured. "It was something Iris said."

He carded his fingers through her hair gently. "And, what did she say?"

Caitlin sighed. "She asked where I had been the past six months."

Barry watched as her eyebrows pinched together and sighed. "And, that hurt your feelings."

She shook her head. "It didn't hurt my feelings as much as it made me disappointed in myself."

"Why did it make you disappointed in yourself?" Barry asked quietly, confusion strong in his voice.

Caitlin sighed. "She had a point. Where had I been the past six months? Ignoring my team and working at a rundown bar, that's where."

Barry recognized the exact moment that she started chastising herself and pulled her into his body even more tightly. Not alright with her blaming herself in the slightest, he chose his words with care.

"I need you to listen to me, alright? Iris should have never said that. No one, and I do mean no one, blames you in the slightest for being gone. Last year was hard on you; on all of us. You did what you had to do to protect yourself from more pain. Do I wish you weren't working at a bar? Yes, but that's only because that bar was creepy, and you didn't need to force yourself to stay there. I don't blame you from being away from the team at all," he said quietly, but with conviction. Caitlin sat there, thinking through his words, and he gave her all the time she needed. She eventually smiled.

"I think I love you," she murmured, blush painting her cheeks. Barry laughed gently.

"I know I love you," he replied, and she smiled. They fell silent then, with Barry humming softly. Eventually, he looked at her.

"I'll talk to her, figure out why she said that," he promised. Caitlin looked at him.

"I know why she said it," she replied quietly. He traced his thumb over her cheekbone, studying her.

"Then, I'll figure out why she said it for me. I need to know," he said. She nodded, and they fell silent then, each absorbed in their own thoughts.

XXX

The next day, Barry found Iris standing by the monitors. Not wishing to get into in altercation with his friend, he chose his words with care, instead of just attacking her.

"I talked to Caitlin," he said, and she looked at him, smiling.

"Good," she murmured. The one thing about knowing Iris for as long as he did, it meant that she knew about his love for his doctor long before he did. She didn't begrudge him that.

"She told me about the comment you made, asking her where she had been the past six months," he continued, watching as her face fell, and she sighed.

"I shouldn't have said that," she mumbled. He nodded.

"Why did you?" Barry asked curiously, careful to not scold her. She didn't need that.

"I was worried about you, worried about our team," she muttered, and he studied her. He nodded a moment later.

"I get that, I do," he replied. "But what happened to our team, to me, is not Caitlin's fault."

"I know that," she whispered, staring over his shoulder. He sighed.

"I think the real issue here is you're blaming yourself," he said, and she chuckled bitterly.

"Don't go knowing me as well as you do," she said, and it was his turn to laugh.

"Perks of knowing you for as long as I have," he reminded her. She sighed.

"I think it was easier for me to blame Caitlin than it was to blame myself. So, I projected my anger onto her," she muttered. "And for that, I'm sorry."

Barry looked at her, assessing her, before nodding.

"Just, talk to me if you have an issue. Don't take it out on other members of our team," he replied quietly. The two friends looked at each other for a long moment, recognizing something had broken between them. Iris eventually nodded.

"Alright," she murmured, shoulders hunched inwards.

There wasn't much left to say, and Barry noticed that. He squeezed Iris on the shoulder gently.

"I guess I'll be seeing you around, Iris," he murmured. She nodded.

"I'll be seeing you," she replied. They looked at each other once more, before Barry turned on his heel and left the room, leaving part of his life behind him. Yes, things had changed.

Fin.

Author's note: Hope you like, anon!


	79. Chapter 79

Author's note: Anon requested Caitlin falling asleep in the labs, and Barry taking her home. Cute Snowbarry ensues.

As Barry ran, he let his mind wander. He knew that no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't undo the pain the team had suffered. He knew that, no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't bring Ronnie back. Caitlin had told him it wasn't his fault; that Ronnie had died a hero and wouldn't want Barry blaming himself for the outcome. Too bad she couldn't take her own advice. Caitlin, whenever overcome with strong emotions, tended to retreat even further into her shell that was protecting her, making her hard to reach. Barry would be damned if he didn't try, though.

Eventually, his feet propelled him back to Star Labs, a place that was like a sanctuary to him. For the past couple of nights, he had taken to running the streets, always ending back at his home. Tonight, he decided to stop at Star Labs, check on the place before retiring for the evening. As he made his way into the cortex, he listened to the quietness of the labs. It was usually alive with energy whenever his team was there during the day. At night, it was a different story.

When he reached the cortex, he looked around, eyes pausing momentarily when they fell on another person. Smiling softly, he spotted Caitlin, sleeping soundly at her desk. He eased his way towards her, careful not to make too much noise and startle her awake. Once he reached her, he paused, studying her. She, for once, looked relatively peaceful. Like, she didn't have any worries she was shouldering. That, Barry thought to himself, was part of the problem with his doctor. She liked to carry the weight of the world on her shoulders and not accept help from anybody. Sighing, he crouched down next to her, rubbing her shoulder softly.

"Caitlin?" Barry murmured, careful to not be too loud. He smiled as her eyebrows scrunched together.

"Hmm?" Caitlin hummed, waking herself up a bit more.

"Let me get you home so you can sleep in a proper bed, alright?" Barry asked softly.

"I swear, I only closed my eyes for two seconds," Caitlin sighed, before yawning into her elbow. Barry chuckled quietly.

"C'mon, Dr. Snow. Let me get you home," he encouraged. She nodded and stood up. Barry looked at her.

"I'm going to pick you up, if that's alright," he said, holding out his arms. Caitlin nodded.

"Just don't set me on fire," she joked, yawning once more. He laughed, picking her up and swinging her into his arms. Once her arms were wrapped securely around his neck, he took off, with a quick "hold on" uttered before he was running. As he ran, he kept his eyes firmly in front of him, but chanced glances at her every now and then. Her eyes were closed, and he thought she might've fallen asleep again. It gave him ample opportunity to think over how things had changed in just one short summer. Caitlin had lost Ronnie and the team had lost her. She had left to go work at Mercury Labs, and, while knowing it was what she needed to do, Barry had missed her. Exponentially.

Soon enough, he stopped outside of her apartment. "We're here."

Caitlin unwound her arms from his neck, letting him place her on the ground. After taking a quick look around, she seemed to get her bearings and pulled out her keys.

"Care for a cup of tea?" Caitlin asked softly, seeming a bit more awake. Barry looked at her, torn. Torn because he wanted her to sleep, but also because he'd like to spend some time with her. Eventually, he nodded.

"Tea sounds great," he replied, and she opened her door, granting him access to her apartment. After taking off her sweater, she headed to her kitchen, and Barry followed suit. He watched as she rummaged around in her cabinets for a moment, before pulling out a tea kettle and two mugs. As she was heating the tea up on the stove, she kept her back turned to him, and he wondered, not for the first time, what she was thinking when she closed herself off in this way.

"Tea's ready," she said once the kettle started whistling. She poured them each a mug, before leading the way into her living room. After sitting down, she took a sip of her tea, not saying anything.

Barry cleared his throat a moment later. "How often have you been falling asleep at work, Caitlin?"

She shrugged a shoulder. "Couple of nights now."

"Why?" Barry asked, eyebrow crooked. She sighed.

"It's easier than coming home to an empty bed," she muttered, and his heart bled.

"I'm so sorry, Caitlin. So, so sorry," he murmured, but she shook her head, squeezing his hand gently.

"It's not your fault, Barry," she said quietly, looking at him. "Ronnie died a hero. It was the way he wanted to be remembered."

Barry stared at her for a long moment. "How can you handle it?"

"Handle what?" Caitlin asked.

"The pain? The pain of losing the person you love most twice?" Barry asked quietly.

"It's not easy, by any means," Caitlin whispered, staring into her mug. She fell silent, thinking, and Barry gave her all the time she needed.

"I think," she began several moments later. "It's just what I have to do. It's the way my life is."

"That is utterly unfair," Barry sighed, closing his eyes. Caitlin chuckled softly.

"Life's not fair, Barry," she reminded him gently. He opened his eyes, staring at her for a long moment.

"You're the true hero, Caitlin," he whispered, and she smiled.

"No, I'm not. But, it's a nice sentiment regardless," she replied.

The fell silent then, drinking their tea. When Caitlin was finished, she set her cup on her side table, and tucked her knees up to her chest, resting her head on her arms that were wrapped around them.

"You should get some sleep," Barry said as soon as he saw her eyes start to grow heavy.

"In a minute. Please give me a few more moments have not having to go to sleep, so I won't wake up with him gone," Caitlin whispered. Barry bit his lip hard, to keep his own emotions in check. She wasn't crying; wasn't speaking dejectedly. She, she just sounded resigned. He nodded his head, holding onto her arm, reminding her that she could tether herself to him to keep herself afloat.

Eventually, she nodded her head.

"I'm ready," she said, standing up. She looked at him, biting her lip.

"Hey, Barry?" Caitlin asked quietly.

"Yeah?" Barry asked.

"Will you stay until I fall asleep? For old times sake?" Caitlin asked, and he knew she was thinking about the night after the bar. She seemed nearly as vulnerable then as she did now. He didn't have to think twice.

"Of course," he replied, and she nodded. She led the way into her room, climbing into the bed. He sat down on it and hummed softly. It wasn't too long before she fell asleep. He still wasn't sure at which point he decided to leave her, but it was much later after she fell asleep. Pausing on his way out, he tucked her covers around her, before hesitantly kissing her forehead.

"Sleep well, Caitlin," he murmured, before leaving, electricity dancing in his wake.

Author's note: Real talk, this was really sad to write. Not quite sure how I ended up in this direction, but hope you like it. Prompts accepted in the comments. Will be getting to some older ones now.


	80. Chapter 80

Killer Frost smirked at Barry as they crept closer to their metas. She knew they were close to apprehending them, having been studying them for quite some time. She was ready to just go in and get the mission over with, but Barry, bless him, had wanted to do some spy work; really learn about who they were apprehending before they apprehended them.

"On my count, Frost," Barry whispered, and she rolled her eyes.

"On my count, Flash," she said quietly, and he looked at her. He nodded a moment later.

"Three…two…show time," she whispered, smirking as she stepped out of the shadows and shot ice at the first meta human she saw. He yelped as his legs were encased in ice. Barry sped around them just then, putting power dampening cuffs on them. Killer Frost watched in amusement as he flashed back to her side.

"Such a flare for the dramatics," she teased, and he rolled his eyes.

"Says the woman who, quite literally, has to freeze everything," he muttered, and she let out a trilling laugh. When she fell silent, she looked at him, feeling some of the butterflies Caitlin normally felt whenever she looked at one Barry Allen. She knew her doppelganger enough by now to know she wasn't going to open up about the feelings she harbored for the speedster. Looking around once more, Frost made a split-second decision.

"Hey, Flash?" Frost asked softly, and he looked at her.

"Yeah?" Barry asked, and she bit her lip, before hesitantly placing her lips against his. His warmth was nothing like she had ever experienced before. She took it in greedily, savoring every ounce of it. However, she knew he was susceptible to hypothermia if she kept kissing him, so pulled back, ducking her head down.

She, for the life of her, couldn't figure out why she suddenly radiated Caitlin-esque shyness. Standing on the balls of her feet, she peered up at Barry through her hair that was acting as a curtain for her, shielding her away from his puzzled looked.

"Uh, Frost?" Barry asked weakly, and she would've laughed at his tone if she wasn't suddenly worried. Not worried for herself, no, but her doppelganger. Caity hadn't left a note, asking her to kiss him. What if she had made a huge mistake? Just then, she felt the tell-tale signs of Caitlin pushing to the surface, wanting to break free. Inhaling, she pushed some of her hair behind her ear.

"You really need to talk to Caity, Flash," she murmured. He looked at her, studying her, before nodding.

"Bring her back," he said quietly, and she nodded, too, before succumbing to the transition.

XXX

"She kissed you?" Caitlin asked indignantly an hour later. Her and Barry had made it back to Star Labs, with the speedster saying he needed her to hang back there with him when everyone left. How dare she do that. How dare she kiss him when it was what Caitlin wan- she paused that line of thought, not wishing for old wounds to unstitch themselves. She wasn't sure when she had fallen in love with the Speedster, and knew it was unprofessional, especially since she was his doctor; but sometimes, these things couldn't be helped.

"I don't think she actually wanted to kiss me," he clarified, and Caitlin felt her heart thumping unevenly.

"Really? That's strange," she muttered, hoping to buy herself some time. She was so going to leave her doppelganger the worst note ever.

Barry chuckled a little. "I think she wanted me to ask you why she kissed me."

Caitlin felt her cheeks ignite and knew she was as red as the setting sun. Sighing, she bit her lip, massaging her forehead with her hand.

"This wasn't how you were supposed to find out," she mumbled, sighing deeply.

"Find out what, Caitlin?" Barry asked quietly. Too late to go back now, the damage has already been done. Sighing again, she chose her words carefully.

"I-I think she wanted you to find out about…someone else's feelings through the kiss," she muttered.

Barry stared at her for a moment before grinning. "Yours?"

"Yes," Caitlin whispered, staring down. How her heart was beating impossibly fast, and she felt like bolting from the room. Her feet wouldn't work with her brain however, and she couldn't figure out why they wouldn't move. Barry placed his hands on her cheeks, tilting her head up, and her eyes closed on instinct.

"Look at me," Barry asked softly and, after inhaling shakily, she did.

"Why does that scare you so much?" Barry asked quietly. Caitlin bit her lip.

"The last guy I loved, truly loved, left me. What if that happens this time?" Caitlin whispered. "Not to mention the other couple of guys. One kidnapped me, and the other tried to take away the best part about me."

Barry's eyes flickered all over her face, and she felt vulnerable; raw and on display for the world to see.

"I'm not going to hurt you in the ways you've been hurt," he assured.

"That…you mean…you feel the same way?" Caitlin asked in disbelief. He chuckled.

"I have for quite some time, Caitlin Snow," he murmured, and the eased some of the frenzied beats of her heart. She searched his face, trying to detect hints of dishonesty. Upon finding none, she grinned a little.

"And, what, it took Frost kissing you to realize your feelings?" Caitlin asked amusedly. He grinned in response.

"No, it just took her kissing me to realize there might be a chance you returned them," he laughed.

"I have for quite some time, Barry Allen," she murmured, parroting his earlier statement. Then, not quite sure who was leaning in first, they were kissing. Heart soaring, Caitlin felt the kiss in her toes, and sighed contentedly as their mouths explored each other. When they pulled apart, Barry pressed his forehead against hers'.

"What do you say about dinner?" Barry asked quietly, and she hummed.

"Sounds perfect. Let me just leave a note for Frost," she replied, and he nodded. She pulled away from him and grabbed a sticky note.

Frost – thanks. You know what for.

P.S. Kiss him again and you can kiss those leather pants you've had your eye on goodbye.

Love,

Cait.

Author's note: Prompts accepted in the comments.


	81. Chapter 81

Author's note: Jesse, this is for you!

Barry couldn't believe how lucky he had gotten in his life. A wife he adored, friends who supported him, family who loved him to pieces, and a little girl on the way who he would undoubtedly go to the ends of the earth to protect. He couldn't believe when Caitlin had told him she was pregnant; it seemed like his prayers were finally being answered. Caitlin was absolutely glowing. She had always wanted a family of her own, big, unlike hers', so that she could show her children what unconditional love from a mother looked like.

That was something she and Barry had in common: wanting a big family. While he had grown up with a sibling, he had always wanted more. Sure, Iris was fantastic, and his best friend, but he had wanted a big family after his mother was killed, and his father was taken to prison. He felt like it would have helped to not alienate him from everyone else a bit better. And, he understood why his wife wanted a big family, unquestionably so.

So, that's how they found themselves with their current situation. Caitlin, pregnant, and Barry, wanting to do anything to make sure his family was happy and loved. He and Caitlin had already talked about what they would do if their little girl was a speedster, like him. They would train her when she was old enough, making sure to tell her about her powers at the right time, in the right way. Caitlin said she didn't want to know anytime soon, but Barry had the sneaking suspicion that she was going to be a speedster. How did he know this? Simple. Caitlin was tiny for the duration of her pregnancy. Eight months in and she was smaller than Barry had dreamed possible; than Barry felt was safe.

He had tried to talk to his wife, to let Harry run some tests, to make sure everything was okay, but his wife was stubborn to a fault sometimes, and declined. So, he just made sure she ate enough, got enough sleep, and was healthy over all. What bothered him the most was the fact that even though he made sure she had enough to eat, it never seemed to do her any good. She was continuously losing weight, and, well, he was worried. To put It simply.

Just then, Cisco's panicked voice came over the speaker. "Flash, get in here. Quickly!"

Barry raced out of the pipeline, where he had been going over his thoughts, and skidded to a stop in the cortex, glancing around frantically.

"What? What is it?" Barry asked hurriedly.

Caitlin appeared just then, seemingly annoyed.

"Cisco, did you have to call my husband up here?" Caitlin demanded, arms crossed.

"Uh-huh, don't give me that. You fainted," Cisco said, waggling a finger at her. Caitlin rolled her eyes.

"I did not faint, Cisco. I got light headed," she sighed.

"Uh, yeah, and then promptly fell on the floor," Cisco replied, rolling his eyes. While his wife and their friend argued back and forth about who was right in this situation, Barry crept towards his wife.

"Let's just get you home, okay?" Barry asked, but she was adamant.

"No," she said firmly. "Not until it's time to go."

"Caitlin," Barry began, but she held a hand up and he fell silent.

"Barry, I'm fine," she insisted. "Quit worrying. I just got light headed. Probably time for lunch. Well, my second one."

Barry looked her over, making sure she didn't sustain any bumps or bruises, before looking back at her. "I don't know."

"Look, we'll get Harry to check to make sure the baby is fine, sweetheart. Then, I'll eat, and we'll carry on with the rest of our day."

It was the best Barry was going to get so he nodded his head with a resigned sigh. "Alright."

After Harry checked Caitlin and the baby over, Barry made sure to flash away to get her favorite sandwich from the local deli they liked frequenting. By the time he got back, Caitlin was sitting down.

"Lunch," Barry smiled, holding up the bag. Caitlin grinned.

"Well, second one," she replied.

"You could give me a run for my money in how much you eat, babe," Barry teased.

"Yeah, I know. Thank God it doesn't show," Caitlin laughed, and Barry felt his heart sink like a stone in the pit of his stomach, worries resurfacing.

"Yeah," he muttered, trailing off and staring at his wife's too thin frame. She squeezed his hand.

"Don't," she said, and he looked at her. "Harry said the baby's fine; that I'm fine. All we need to focus on is that she's healthy."

"And, that you're healthy, too," Barry hastened to add, and Caitlin rolled her eyes amusedly.

"As healthy as a horse," she mouthed, before biting into her sandwich. Barry chuckled, and pushed aside his worry. For now.

XXX

By the time they got home, Caitlin was tired, Barry could tell that much. He guided her into their living room.

"You rest, I'll get dinner," he murmured, and she nodded, sinking onto the couch. He flashed away after a quick smile, something that he'd come to regret every day for the rest of his life.

XXX

By the time Barry got back home, he had pizza in his arms. It was one of his wife's favorite foods to eat when she was pregnant, so he wanted to make sure she had a filling dinner.

"Got pizza, sweetheart," he called out, kicking his shoes off by the door. When she didn't respond, Barry tilted his head to the side, confused.

"Babe, did you fall asleep? If you fell asleep, you best believe I'm waking you up," he chuckled, walking into their living room. The sight he was greeted with had him dropping the pizza box, not even caring for one moment that it was toppling to the ground. Caitlin. She was unconscious on the ground. He rushed to her, dropping to his knees.

"Caitlin, sweetheart? Can you hear me?" Barry asked quietly, shaking her shoulder. When she didn't respond, he was calling an ambulance, not wanting to risk running her to the hospital with as pregnant as she was. He kept trying to get her more responsive while he waited, but it was useless. Soon enough, there was a pounding against their door that had him up and sprinting towards it.

"In here, she's in here," Barry said hurriedly as the EMTs raced in. He led them to his living room, where the first two dropped down next to her.

"How long has she been unconscious?" One asked, and Barry gulped.

"I-I'm not sure. I went to go get dinner and she was passed out when I got home," he whispered, feeling guilt claw at his insides.

"What's your wife's name?" The same one asked.

"Caitlin," he said, staring at her.

"Caitlin? Can you hear me? I'm Tim, and this Brett, and we're going to get you out of here," Tim said, and looked at Brett.

"One the count of three, lets lift her onto the gurney," Tim instructed, and Brett counted. Barry felt his heart stop as they lifted her, and strapped her in. Then, the three of them ran out of their house and out to the ambulance. Barry was the last to hop in, and Brett was slamming the door shut a moment later. Then, they were off, with Barry holding his wife's hand.

XXX

By the time Caitlin came to, Barry wasn't quite as worried. Still worried, but not as much. She blinked her eyes open, and he smiled at her.

"Hey," he murmured.

"What happened?" Caitlin asked, and Barry sighed.

"You actually did faint this time," he muttered, and she looked at him, then touched a hand to her stomach.

"Don't worry, Nora's okay," he assured, and the relief that etched itself across her face was breathtaking.

"Thank goodness," she sighed deeply.

"Hospital's going to keep you here; doctor wants to induce in a few hours," he murmured.

"I'm only eight months pregnant, though," Caitlin began in a panicked voice, but he rubbed his hand along her forearm.

"Eight and a half," he reminded her. "Doctor says it's our best option."

Caitlin looked at him. "I'm sorry."

"What are you sorry for, sweetheart?" Barry asked with a frown.

"This. All of it," she whispered, ducking her head. That wasn't going to work for him. He stilled her with a gentle hand to her cheek.

"None of this is your fault," he said.

"But- "she began.

"None of it," he reiterated firmly.

They stared at each other, and Barry knew the exact moment that his wife began to relax. Her posture became less stiff, and she stopped chewing on her lower lip.

"Let's do this, then," she said determinedly, and he grinned.

"You and me, sweetheart," he murmured.

"You and me," she mouthed.

Ten hours later, Nora Iris Allen came into the world screaming, proving she had a healthy set of lungs. Barry could honestly say he had never been prouder of Caitlin or happier in his life. And, he knew he was going to feed his wife more than she could dream possible. All was right.

Fin.


	82. Chapter 82

AUTHOR'S NOTE: DO NOT READ IF YOU HAVE YET TO WATCH LAST EPISODE. THAT IS ALL.

"Caitlin, can we talk?" Barry asked, and Caitlin looked up from her monitor. She noted his concerned look and furrowed her brow.

"Of course," she replied. "What's wrong?"

Barry sighed, and Caitlin watched as he studied her, before speaking.

"I guess I just really wanted to know why you took that risk with Devoe today," he began quietly, and Caitlin's brow furrowed even more.

"You know the answer to that, Barry," she reminded him. "I must get Killer Frost back."

Barry sighed again, folding his arms across his chest.

"At what cost, Caitlin? Your life?" Barry demanded, and Caitlin's shoulders hunched inwards.

"Look, Barry," she began but he didn't give her a chance to finish her sentence.

"No, Caitlin, there is no "look, Barry". What you did today was reckless and could've cost you your life," he said quietly, staring at her intently. Her hear thumped harshly against her ribcage. She didn't expect him to understand but that didn't mean she couldn't try to get him to understand.

"Barry, what is one of the best pieces about yourself?" Caitlin asked.

"Cait- "he began, but she leveled him with a look.

"Answer the question," she said pointedly.

"My speed," he muttered, after another moment's hesitation. She nodded.

"Exactly," she remarked. "Your speed. What makes you a super hero. I've lost what makes me a super hero but I'm going to get her back."

"Even if it means being reckless and putting your life on the line?" Barry demanded.

"She'd do it for me," Caitlin said quietly, knowing in her heart just how true those words were. Barry sighed in frustration.

"Why does this bother you so much?" Caitlin quirked an eyebrow at him. "You'd do anything to keep your speed."

"Not if it meant I was putting my life on the line, Cait. Devoe could've killed you today, and I would've been able to do absolutely nothing to stop him," Barry emphasized, and, suddenly, clarity struck Caitlin.

"You were scared," she murmured.

"Unquestionably," he whispered. It was her turn to sigh.

"Barry, I-I'm sorry, truly. I didn't mean to frighten you. It's just, there's this hole inside of me. Carved away when Killer Frost disappeared. I must get her back," Caitlin reiterated. "I have to."

Barry stared at her for a long moment. "Don't eliminate yourself from my life, alright? Please."

His words were passionate, an urgency burning behind them that Caitlin didn't quite understand.

"Iris has put her life on the line quite a few times this year," Caitlin reminded him gently, wondering why he wasn't having this conversation with her, too. Or, maybe he had, and she just didn't know about it. Didn't want to know about it. Feelings buried under strategically placed defense mechanisms still burned brighter than any star she could ever remember seeing.

Barry pinched the bridge of his nose with his forefinger and thumb.

"Not the same," he whispered, before looking back at her. She couldn't deny the anguish she saw buried deep in his eyes.

"Why not?" Caitlin asked quietly, unsure of when this conversation had taken a turn and started going down a road she never thought she'd frequent with him as a companion.

"She's not you," he said simply. Those three words were the permission she had been denying herself for the past three years. The permission to wish for an ever-blossoming relationship with the fellow superhero.

Heart in his hand, Caitlin watched as Barry placed his hand against her cheek, and she nuzzled into it.

"It's hard enough that I worry about you guys getting hurt on accident every day, but when the woman I love deliberately puts her life on the line…the kind of pain I feel is unfathomable," he said softly.

"Love?" Caitlin asked, heart in her throat. It was too much to hope for. It was too much to allow herself to enjoy this moment. She closed her eyes.

"Don't do that, Caitlin," Barry said firmly.

"Do what?" Caitlin muttered.

"Hide yourself away from me. Not now. Not today. Especially not today," he murmured, tracing her cheekbone with his thumb. The touch was gentle and soothing; a steady reminder that he was still here, with her. Pushing aside her pride, she opened her eyes, looking back into his.

"I'm sorry," she mouthed, feeling guilty for what she knew was reckless behavior She had been so blinded by her desire to get Killer Frost back, that she didn't think about the consequences of her actions. Had she died, she'd be leaving behind her family. The people who knew her better than herself. And, she'd be leaving behind the chance to explore the possibility of what could be between her and the speedster.

He studied her for a long moment, taking in everything about her expression. She hoped she looked as apologetic and sincere as she felt; as she wished to convey. He seemed satisfied with what he found because he was grinning a moment later.

"Just, no more reckless decisions, alright? Let me help you bring Killer Frost back. Let me in," he encouraged, and, after a moment's hesitation, she nodded.

"Alright," Caitlin whispered. "Alright."

And, she wasn't sure how she knew, she just did, but she knew that in that moment everything was alright. She would be alright. They would be alright. And that was good enough for her.

Fin.

Author's note: Short one about cute snowbarry fluff about Caitlin and trying to get Killer Frost back. Don't know how I end up going down the roads that I do with these. Hope you like! Prompts accepted in the comments.


	83. Chapter 83

Author's note: Prompt from Archive of Our Own

Barry raced the streets of Central City, forever grateful and indebted to his speed. As he ran, he dodged around passerby, trying to avoid knocking into them. He had never run as fast as he was now. Well, that wasn't true. He ran this fast each time Dr. Snow had been kidnapped before. As his feet thudded against the pavement, barely in one spot one moment, off to the next the other, Barry could feel his heart thumping equally as loud. It wasn't from the usual adrenalin he got from running; no, this was purely because of the fear he felt. He had seen Caitlin last night; they had had a date. He knew he should've insisted taking her arm, but she could see how tired he was, and was stubborn to fault. So, she drove herself home, and now look at the mess he was in.

As his feet skidded to a stop inside the cortex, he barley registered the papers spinning around them in a flurry of movement. What he did notice, however, was Cisco siting at his desk, with a cup of coffee in his hands, staring mindlessly in front of him.

"What do we know?" Barry asked urgently, hurrying forward to Cisco. Cisco didn't register him, and Barry had to shake him roughly on the shoulder to get him to break out of his trance.

"Cisco!" Barry exclaimed and, finally, the engineer blinked and looked up.

"Hmm?" Cisco asked, and Barry grit his teeth. Now was not the time for Cisco to lose his composure.

"I said," Barry exhaled slowly, "what do we know?"

Cisco stared at him, mouth agape.

"Cisco, focus!" Barry hissed, trying to get a response out of his friend. Just then, Harry appeared next to them.

"Easy, Allen, he's in shock," Harry said quietly.

"Why? This isn't the first time Caitlin's been kidnapped," Barry muttered, heart clenching uncomfortably at the thought.

"Yes, but it is the first time he vibed his best friend only to see that she was being beaten mercilessly," Harry countered, and suddenly, it was all Barry could do to not toss his cookies. He inhaled shakily, before looking at Cisco.

"I need you to vibe me her. Now," he said quietly.

"Allen, I don't think-," Harry began but Barry interrupted him.

"Now," he emphasized, not caring for one moment about how shocked the engineer was. He placed his hand on his friend's shoulder, shaking it. Cisco finally looked up at him.

"Please," Barry implored. Cisco studied his face for a long moment, and Barry waited with bated breath. At last, at long last, Cisco sighed and nodded his head.

"Alright," he muttered. He stood up from the chair he was seated on and walked to his desk where he proceeded to take out his glasses. After having them in his hand, Cisco put them on, then walked back to Barry. Barry knew he wouldn't be able to actually see Caitlin, that only Cisco would be able to do that, but it was still a comforting thought to know that someone on their team was keeping an eye on the situation.

After looking at Barry, Cisco nodded, placed his hand on his shoulder to help steady himself, and began to vibe her. He gasped, and Barry's stomach clenched as he wondered what he was seeing. A moment later, Cisco yanked the glasses off, trying to catch his breath.

"What? What did you see?" Barry demanded, fear coiling angrily in his stomach.

"Cait-she, she's tied to some chair, and her face is pretty busted and bruised," Cisco muttered, before tossing his cookies in the nearest waste bin. Harry hurried forward with a bottle of water, passing it off to him once he was through being sick.

Barry stared at his friend for a long moment, wanting to be gentle, but also needing to know where the hell Caitlin was.

"What else did you see?" Barry asked quietly, and Cisco nodded, wiping the back of his hand across his mouth aggressively.

"She's in some building. It looks like the basement of the building, maybe?" Cisco replied, sounding a bit uncertain.

"Do you think you can vibe the outside of it?" Barry asked hurriedly. Closing his eyes, Cisco inhaled, before nodding.

"As long as I don't have to see my best friend beaten again, sure," he muttered. Barry waited on pins and needles for Cisco to be finished. Once he was back in the labs, he looked at Barry.

"She's at Mercury Labs," he said, and those four words was all it took for Barry to be running.

XXXX

By the time he showed up at Mercury Labs, afternoon had fallen. Barry wanted to strategize; to plan out his thoughts accordingly. However, he also knew Caitlin was walking on borrowed time so didn't really have much choice but to head into the building now. His feet carried him forward.

When he reached the building, he immediately looked around, wondering if he could spot someone he recognized. Luckily for him, Dr. McGee was waiting right in the lobby. She seemed to be waiting for him at that. Barry ran inside, with her quickly badging him in.

"I got a call from Francisco," she whispered, and Barry looked at her, hesitant. She spotted his wary expression and held her hands up.

"Mr. Allen, you must know I have, under absolute certainty, no clue why Caitlin was brought here, but I will do everything in my power to return her to Star Labs safely," Dr. McGee stated passionately, and something in his gut told Barry she was being truthful. He nodded.

"Get everyone out of here and call the cops. Quickly," he murmured. He waited until she had the security guard's attention before flashing down to the basement. Once there, he hurried to a door that was on the left; it was the only door down here and Barry was certain Caitlin was behind it.

Flashing inside, he looked around, spotting Caitlin tied to a chair and looking tired. He hurried to her.

"Caitlin? Caitlin, sweetheart, can you hear me?" Barry asked softly. He shook her shoulder gently, and she jerked out of the state she was in.

"Barry?" Caitlin whispered, and he nodded.

"Yeah, it's me. I'm going to get you out of here and home, alright?" Barry replied, untying her quickly.

"Is anything broken? Can you tell?" Barry asked quietly, keeping an eye on the door in case it should open.

"No," she replied, equally as quiet. Just then, the door flew open and Barry pushed Caitlin behind him, ready for a fight. Where he wanted to protect her, she was equally as protective, wrapping an arm around his chest and pulling his torso flush against her body.

"Don't do anything stupid," she said.

"Shh," he murmured, eyes on whoever was walking in the room.

"Boss wants a word with her," came a gruff voice, and Barry shook from the fire like anger coursing through him; "her" was obviously Caitlin.

"Tell your boss he can't," Barry snarled, flying forward. He sped around, punching the two men that were caught unawares. Just as he finished knocking out the last one, someone started clapping and Barry spun to a stop, looking around. His stomach plummeted. Caitlin was being held against the chest of another guy, knife to her throat.

"Let's just take it easy, alright?" Barry asked, hoping to buy a little time.

"See, that's not how this works, ain't it?" The man asked. Barry crept forward, hoping to surprise him. However, it was Caitlin who ended up taking the both of them by surprise.

"You know what? I'm getting sick and tired of always being the victim," she muttered. "It's time I was the hero." She then rammed the back of her foot into the guy's knee, causing him to gasp in pain. His stunned demeanor was all she needed, apparently. She slammed her elbow into his nose, and Barry heard the satisfying crunch. Then she elbowed him the stomach, effectively disarming him. By this time, Barry had gotten his wits about him again, and sped around, tying the guy's wrists together with a zip tie he found in one of the other idiots' pockets.

"Didn't work out quite like you were expecting, hmm, pumpkin?" Caitlin asked patronizingly, and the guy just glared at her. Just then, Barry heard footsteps thundering down the stairs, announcing Joe and his squads' arrival. Barry looked at Caitlin, holding his arms open.

"May I?" Barry asked, and Caitlin nodded.

"Never thought you'd ask, Flash," she replied, before allowing him to swing her into his arms. They were gone the next moment, a trail of dancing electricity left in their wake.

XXX

By the time they got back to Star Labs, Cisco and Harry were there, waiting with an empty bed in the medical bay. Barry placed Caitlin down on it gently and stepped back to the side while Harry ran the usual tests the Caitlin normally did. After deeming her bruised and shaken up, but fine, Harry released her for the night, with strict instructions to take it easy. Joe appeared just then.

"Finished booking the guys," he said, and Caitlin nodded.

"Do you have any idea why they took you and why they held you in the basement at Mercury Labs, of all places?" Joe inquired, and Caitlin sighed.

"They wanted something from Dr. McGee. They had been watching her all of last year, and knew I worked there for a short time. They thought I was their best hope and leverage," she replied.

"Idiots," Cisco and Harry supplied, with Barry nodding his head.

He looked at Caitlin. "Let me get you home."

"Yes, please, I just really want to go to sleep and forget this ever happened," she murmured, smiling slightly.

Barry guided her out of the cortex and towards the parking lot, where he picked her back up and flashed away. When they got to her apartment, he set her down on her feet outside of it, before rubbing a hand against the back of his neck.

"I'll let you get some sleep," he murmured as Caitlin toyed with her keys.

"Or, you could stay here tonight. We could order some takeout," she replied.

"How can I refuse?" Barry asked, and she gifted him with a smile.

He knew she'd be alright, she always was. And, that's what allowed him to put one foot in front of the other and keeping carrying onwards.

Fin.

Author's note: Prompts accepted in the comments.


	84. Chapter 84

Caitlin tried her best to stanch the blood flowing out of her as she hurried up the front porch steps of her colleague, Henry Allen's, house. She knew that she was walking on borrowed time and, if not careful, she wouldn't survive the night. Chancing one last glance at the gaping wound on her side, she hurriedly knocked on the door.

"Please answer, please answer," she mumbled under her breath. Her prayers were answered because a moment later, the door was opening.

"Thank God, He-," Caitlin cut herself off midsentence when she realized it wasn't Henry who answered.

"Caitlin?"

"Barry?"

"Is that blood?" Barry demanded incredulously, and Caitlin nodded, suddenly feeling lightheaded as the last bit of her adrenaline filtered out of her system.

"Uh, yeah," she mumbled, becoming increasingly unsteady on her own two feet.

"Woah, there," Barry said, flinging out an arm for her to latch herself onto.

"Come inside, quickly!" Barry instructed. Caitlin allowed him to lead her into the house, and to a couch right in the front foyer off the main hallway.

"Dad, we need help! Now!" Barry called, before easing Caitlin down onto the couch. "Get your medical bag and all of your equipment!"

Caitlin leaned back into the couch, shutting her eyes as she did so.

"No, Caitlin, open your eyes," Barry implored, and she did after a moment of struggling to do so.

Just then, Henry Allen rushed into the room, and came to a standstill when he saw Barry and Caitlin.

"What happened, Caitlin?" Henry asked calmly, gently pushing his son to her other side, so he had easier access to her wound.

"I-I was out on a mission and it turned ugly. Fast," Caitlin gasped out, clutching her side with her hand.

"It looks like a bullet wound," Henry said, peering closely at the wound. Caitlin nodded.

"It is," she gritted through clenched teeth. Henry nodded.

"I don't have any of my anesthesia on hand, nor do I have time to get it. Not with the way the blood is pouring out rapidly. We're going to have to do this with you being awake," he said, rolling up the sleeves of his shirt. Caitlin sighed.

"I was afraid of that," she muttered. Henry chuckled gently before addressing his son.

"Barry, go get me towels, lots of them, something sharp to dig the bullet out with, and a glass of water," he instructed, and Barry was off.

Henry turned to Caitlin. "Alright, Caitlin. Like any other time I've given you surgery because of something reckless you did."

"I was not reckless," Caitlin argued, but stopped, when Henry quirked an eyebrow at her.

"Alright, I may have been reckless," she amended.

Just then, Barry rushed back into the room, tripping over his own feet in his rush to get to them.

"Easy, son," Henry said, and Barry nodded, stopping a little less than gracefully next to his dad.

"Water, towels, and a knife," he said, passing off each item as he called them out.

Henry placed a towel on the couch next to Caitlin and instructed Barry to hold another one against her wound. Then he looked Caitlin squarely in the eyes.

"This is going to hurt, but I need to know now if you trust me," he said quietly.

"I trust you with my life, Henry," Caitlin replied with conviction.

"Then trust me to save it," Henry implored, and she nodded.

"Take a deep breath," Henry said, and Caitlin did just that as he began to dig the knife into her side, attempting to pull out the bullet.

"Ah," Caitlin gasped, squeezing her eyes shut. Just then, she felt a warm hand covering her small one, and opened her eyes; Barry was smiling down at her.

"Focus on me, Caitlin," he said quietly, and she nodded. Being able to focus on Barry Allen for the next half hour was what kept Caitlin alive, she was sure of it. As Henry dug through her flesh, she focused on the rhythmic movement of Barry's thumb running against her knuckles, and his words of encouragement.

"Almost done; you're doing so good," he praised every so often, eyes on hers'. Caitlin listened to his words, letting them wash over her and soothe every dark crevasse inside of her. Eventually, Henry got started on stitching up her skin, once her got the bullet removed.

"Eyes on me," Barry said once she had closed her eyes again. She nodded, forcing them open as she searched for his forest green eyes. Once she sought them out, she allowed herself to stare at nothing else but them, taking her mind off the pain and discomfort she felt.

"And, we're done," Henry said quietly about fifteen minutes later. Caitlin sighed in relief.

"Thank you," she breathed out. "Now, if neither of you two don't mind, I'm just going to go home and sleep."

She didn't miss the panicked look Barry sent his father, nor the way Henry's mouth dipped into a frown.

"Caitlin, I'd feel much better if you slept here," Henry stated, and it was her turn to frown.

"I already ruined your couch with blood; you really want me to stay here?" Caitlin questioned.

"We insist," Barry stated, his father nodding his head in agreement. Perhaps it had to do with how tired she felt; perhaps it had to do with how she felt safe for the first time since that morning; whatever the reason, Caitlin was nodding her head.

"Alright," she murmured, closing her eyes. She felt a blanket being tucked around her, and soft murmuring but couldn't figure out what they were saying. The last of her consciousness ebbed away from her and she was soon asleep.

XXX

When Caitlin woke, it was dark outside. Feeling disoriented, she looked around, and spotted Barry asleep in the chair across from her.

"Barry," she said quietly, watching how his eyebrows scrunched together. "Barry."

"Hmm?" Barry asked, opening his bleary eyes. She smiled softly at him.

"Go sleep in a proper bed," she murmured, but he shook his head.

"I'm fine here," he murmured, before standing up and stretching. He walked to her and sat down on the couch next to her; she tucked her feet up underneath her in response.

"How're you feeling?" Barry asked.

"Tired, but better," she replied honestly. He smiled.

"Good," he breathed out.

They sat there for a few minutes in peaceful silence before Barry cleared his throat.

"You really scared me, you know?" Barry asked quietly.

"I scared myself," Caitlin admitted, thinking over how close she had come to dying. And, she knew it was close. Barry looked at her, nodding his head.

"You can't do anything like that again, alright?" Barry implored, and she stared at him before kissing his cheek gently.

"What was that for?" Barry asked in surprise, and she smiled warmly.

"For being you, Barry," she murmured, and if the way his eyes crinkled in the corners from how wide his smile was said anything, it said that Caitlin had said something inexplicably right.

"Thanks," he murmured, and she dared to interlock their fingers. His grin widened as he began to trace patterns with the pad of his thumb onto the back of her hand. She didn't know where they were going to go from there, but she was eager to find out. And that was good enough.

Fin.

Author's note: Got some prompts to get to. Hope you enjoy. Prompts accepted in the comments. Xxx


	85. Chapter 85

Author's note: Jesse! For you! Xxx

Caitlin studied her reflection in her iPad, wondering, not for the first time, if she was truly helping herself by keeping quiet on her anxiety. She knew that the pain Zoom had inflicted on her had left a psychological mark; a psychological mark she refused to talk about because she thought it'd be safer. Safer for who, though? For her? For her team? She didn't have the answers to the endless questions circling in her mind; didn't even begin to know how to attain the answers. She just felt alone, isolated. She didn't know who to turn to; didn't know if she had anybody she could turn to. Jay, (Zoom, Cait, Zoom), had succeeded in what he was aiming to do. He aimed to break her, and she was broken beyond repair.

Just then, she heard footsteps. As they came closer, she focused on the breathing technique she had learned from one of the self-help books she had picked up during her free time. It wasn't much, but it was enough to prevent her from going into a full-blown panic attack. Just as her breathing steadied out, Cisco and Barry popped their heads into the cortex, smiling at her.

"There you are, Caitlin," Cisco greeted her, and she nodded her head.

"Here I am," she murmured, tucking her hands into her ribcage so her two colleagues and friends wouldn't see the tremors wracking through them. Cisco made his way towards her.

"We're heading out of here for the night," he said, and she nodded, heart clenching uncomfortably. Night had fallen: the hardest part of the day for her. She never knew if she'd go to sleep with nightmares welcoming her with open arms or if she'd be victim to another sleepless night, with too many thoughts for company. She watched as Barry grinned at her.

"Want a lift?" Barry asked, and she chuckled, feeling slightly better.

"Why is it that every time I get a lift from you, you nearly set my shirt on fire?" Caitlin asked with a quirked eyebrow. Barry grinned abashedly.

"That's not ever happened, you know," he muttered, cheeks tinted pink. Caitlin laughed gently, thinking about her options. She could accept a ride from the speedster, or she could walk home. She had yet to tell her team why she refused to drive. Every time she got behind the wheel of a car, she was always susceptible to a panic attack; a bad one, at that. She knew it was safer for everyone involved if she just took a cab to work or walked. Bless them, Barry and Cisco hadn't asked her to elaborate on the fact of why she refused to drive. Thinking for a moment longer, Caitlin nodded her head.

"A lift would be lovely, thanks," she murmured appreciatively before locking up her desk. She stuck her iPad into her purse, before hitching it up onto her shoulder, and headed out of the cortex with the two guys. Once they were outside, Cisco sent them a wave before they parted ways. Barry looked at her, holding his arms open.

"May I?" Barry asked, and she smiled.

'You may," she replied, allowing him to swing her into his arms. She wrapped one arm around his neck and held onto her purse with the other.

"Hold on," Barry said quietly, and she turned her face, tucking her head underneath his chin. Then, they were off. The moment the flashing electricity began to dance around them was the moment Caitlin went into a panic. She wasn't expecting a response like that, but then again, she wasn't expecting to be triggered by electricity in the first place. It was too much like Zoom's. Too close for comfort. She began hyperventilating, praying to God this would be over soon.

As they ran, Caitlin was transported back to her time in the cave, being held as Zoom's prisoner. He was merciless against his attack on Killer Frost; the attack he made Caitlin watch. Witnessing her doppelganger's death had been the tip of the iceberg for Caitlin; had been what sent her into a spiraling bout of anxiety and depression. She wasn't sure how anyone could expect her to put herself back together once he had been defeated.

After what seemed like eons of time, Caitlin's prayers had been answered and she suddenly found herself outside of her apartment complex.

"We're here, Caitlin," Barry said, and she clung to him with such a tenacious grip it left her astounded to know that she was that strong.

"Caitlin?" Barry asked carefully.

"Give me a moment, please," she whispered, trying to calm her erratically beating heart. Her breathing was coming out in short puffs of air; it felt like her lungs would concave at any moment.

"Ah, ah, ah," she gasped, wrapping her arms tightly around her friend.

"Are you alright?" Barry asked, concern strong in his tone.

"Having. A. Panic. Attack. Give. Me. A. Minute." Caitlin gasped out.

"I'm going to run you up to your apartment, alright?" Barry asked quietly, but she shook her head.

"No! No running," she said, desperate to not see his electricity again. Barry seemed to understand she couldn't, wouldn't handle running, so nodded his head.

"Alright, here's what we're going to do: I'm going to walk you up to your apartment, alright?" Barry murmured, and she nodded, not trusting her voice. Barry began their walk, keeping Caitlin tucked tightly into his chest. As they walked, she thought over those few weeks she was Zoom's prisoner. He was never kind, nor gentle. Not once. He was desperate to break Caitlin; to be her ruler. It was still hard to believe he was truly gone.

"I see him, every night," Caitlin forced out through chattering teeth. Barry tightened his grip on her as he quickly made his way to the elevator.

"Just focus on your breathing, alright? Do you think you can do that for me?" Barry asked, allowing one arm to let go of her so he could punch the button for her floor. Caitlin squeezed her eyes shut tight as the elevator went up, up, up. She focused on the breathing technique the self-help book taught her and, by the time they reached her floor, her breathing was back to normal.

"You can put me down, now," she murmured, but Barry hesitated, torn, it seemed.

"Honestly, I'm not going to topple over or anything. I'm fine," she hastened to add, and he gently placed her onto her two feet, keeping a hand at the small of her back. She edged her way down the hallway and towards her apartment. Once she got there, she hesitated looking around.

"Can I come in?"

"Want to come in?"

Barry and Caitlin looked at each other before chuckling. Caitlin opened her door and smiled shakily.

"After you," she murmured, tilting her head towards the inside of her apartment. She followed Barry inside, shutting and locking the door securely.

"What's got you so afraid, Caitlin?" Barry asked quietly, frown toying at his lips. Caitlin sighed.

"I could do with a cup of tea before getting into the mess that is my life. Would you like one, too?" Caitlin asked quietly, slipping off her shoes. He nodded, and she headed to the kitchen to start the kettle. Once the water was heating up, she looked at him.

"I'm just going to change into something more comfortable," she said quietly and, again, he nodded. She headed down the hall and into her bedroom where she changed into a pair of yoga pants and her Star Labs sweatshirt. As the tea kettle whistled, she threw her hair up before heading back into the kitchen. Once she had poured the tea, she directed Barry into her living room, where they both sat down on the couch. She took a sip of her tea.

"I don't know where to begin," she murmured, staring at her tea.

"How about the beginning?" Barry suggested kindly, and she nodded.

"I guess that has to do with Ja-Zoom," she muttered, hating herself for still thinking of him in his human form. Barry winced in sympathy.

"Do thoughts of him usually trigger panic attacks, Cait?" Barry asked, placing a hand on her knee gently. She sighed.

"Sometimes, but I can normally combat them pretty quickly," she murmured.

"What triggered it tonight?" Barry asked carefully.

"Your speed," she admitted honestly.

"Cait-," Barry began but she shook her head.

"It's not your fault, Barry, so don't you dare apologize for it as if it was," she said firmly, and he grinned, ducking his head down.

"Don't go knowing me as well as you do, Dr. Snow," Barry chuckled.

"Hate to break it to you, superhero, but it's sort of my job," Caitlin replied, parroting his chuckle. She sobered up then, feeling the true reality of what happened settling around her.

"Sorry," she whispered, staring down at her hands. Barry placed a hand underneath her chin, tilting her head up. Taking a breath, she looked at him.

"You have absolutely nothing to apologize for," he said with conviction. "What that monster did to you is not your fault. Do you hear me?"

She looked at him, eyes flickering all over his face before nodding hesitantly. "I hear you."

They fell silent then, each absorbed in their own thoughts and, for Caitlin, fear. Not wishing to be alone at the moment, she was the first one to break the peace they found themselves encased in.

"Do you want to stay here for a bit tonight? Talk? I really don't want to go to sleep right now," she murmured, and he looked at her, before smiling.

"We can talk for as long as you like," he replied earnestly, and that's how they found themselves staying up till the sun rose, talking steadily. It was the first time in a long time Caitlin felt whole and, while not a major improvement, it was enough progress to feel like she was walking in the right direction. And that was good enough.

Fin.

Author's note: Prompts accepted in the comments. Have some to get to, Xxx


	86. Chapter 86

Author's note: Prompt request about Snowbarry dating for a couple of months. Expect fluffiness. Prompts accepted in the comments. Xxx

Caitlin couldn't believe this was where she was sitting at in her life. Control over her powers, friends who supported her, and a boyfriend who loved and adored her. It was the last realization that left her shell shocked. She never thought she'd find love or be comfortable with being in love again after her last string of relationships. Ronnie dying, his death being final, was what had caused the fissures to start cracking in her heart. Jay, (Zoom, Caitlin), had been the person to break her the most. His manipulative attitude; his malicious intent; basically everything about him, Caitlin came to find out, was what broke her. Then, there was Julian. She wasn't completely sure how she felt about Julian, reflecting on their disastrous attempt at getting into a relationship.

Caitlin sighed contentedly as arms wrapped around her, pulling her body flush against their own.

"Hey, you," Barry murmured into her ear, and she smiled, nestling further into his arms.

"Hey, yourself. I was expecting you a bit sooner. Everything alright?" Caitlin asked, concern strong in her tone. Barry laughed gently.

"Isn't it my job to be the worried one?" Barry asked quietly, and Caitlin grinned.

"And, who's job is it to be concerned about the super hero? Mine," she emphasized, tracing light patterns against his skin with her fingers. If someone had asked her a couple of months ago if she'd expect to be dating the city's hero, she'd have adamantly said no. She might even be aghast to the idea. But, when Iris and Barry ended their short-lived marriage, it was, to her surprise, Caitlin whom the speedster had called, asking for a friend to talk to on particularly lonely nights. Where Barry was open and honest, Caitlin was guarded and shy. But, she reasoned with herself, it was Barry who was the first person to bulldoze down all the carefully place guards she had locked around her heart.

"You don't need to worry as much as you do, Cait," Barry murmured. "You'll go prematurely gray."

"The horror," Caitlin teased, face scrunching up. Barry kissed her temple, laughing with her, before they both fell silent. Caitlin stared out of her kitchen window, where she had been watching the snow cascade down from the clouds for the past fifteen minutes. Barry cleared his throat a moment later.

"Everything was fine, sweetheart," he said. "I just had a little too much fun playing in the snow on my way here."

Caitlin rolled her eyes amusedly. She loved her boyfriend, she truly did, but sometimes, he could be incredibly child-like. Like, now, for instance.

"Playing in the snow, hmm?" Caitlin asked, quirking an eyebrow as she turned her head back to look at him. When she spotted the grin stretching across his face, she didn't have it in her to tease him; she couldn't remember a time he looked genuinely happy. Not since the divorce. His happiness had definitely increased since they got together, but it was still lacking in his life.

"Mhm," Barry hummed. "Care to come outside?"

"Barry Allen, it is below freezing outside and going on ten at night. You really expect me to go play in the snow?" Caitlin demanded incredulously. Barry just stared at her, forest eyes round and hopeful. Caitlin knew he knew he'd get what he wants; knew what he was doing to her. She never did have the easiest of times saying no to her boyfriend.

"My mittens have holes in them," she offered up as a weak excuse, knowing he'd rectify that situation quickly. She wasn't disappointed. The only thing clued her into the fact that he had left was that her hair flew all around her. Before she even had a chance to blink, her hair was blowing in the other direction, announcing his arrival.

"Here you go," he grinned, handing her a pair of black mittens. She huffed and straightened out her hair as she accepted them.

"At least, Frost will be happy with the color," she said. Barry grinned.

"That's the goal," he replied cheerfully. Not seeing any other excuse she could come up with, (nor, not particularly wanting to), Caitlin nodded.

"Alright, let me just go get my jacket," she said, heading off to their spare coat closet. After she had wrapped herself in her warm, plaid winter jacket, Caitlin pulled on a beret and tied her scarf around her neck before eventually looking at Barry, who was dancing with excitement. She shook her head fondly.

"Race you out there?" Barry asked excitedly, and she laughed.

"Of course. And, you better not cheat," she warned, before counting to three. They ran outside, slipping and sliding on the white snow. Caitlin was graceful in her speed, but Barry was a mess. He overshot his running and ended up sliding past Caitlin. Her hands shot out at the same time his did, both wrapping around one another. In his eagerness to latch onto something in order not to lose his balance, Caitlin lost her balance.

"Oof!" Caitlin gasped as she fell. Luckily for her, she landed on something soft, the groan cluing her into the fact that it was her boyfriend. Heart beating, she looked down at him, and noticed his rosy cheeks, and windswept hair.

"Oh my goodness," she exclaimed, trying to stand up so she wasn't squashing him any further. Barry wrapped his arms tightly around her, holding her firmly in place.

"I'm quite comfortable, thanks," he murmured, and she laughed gently, before brushing her lips across his.

"What was that for?" Barry asked softly, and she shrugged a shoulder.

"Just, simple thanks for loving me," she replied quietly.

"I don't need to be thanked for that. You're my favorite person," he said warmly.

"You might not be thinking that in about two seconds," Caitlin grinned, and Barry frowned.

"What-," he started to ask just as her hand brought down a pile of snow onto his head.

"Ah, cold!" Barry gasped, and Caitlin laughed, pushing herself off his chest and running away while he was distracted. He was soon chasing after her, laughing as he did so. His laughter was music to her ears, and she reveled in it. She couldn't remember the last time he sounded this carefree and knew it was because he didn't feel the weight of the world on his shoulders. Not for tonight. Tonight, it was just the two of them tucked away into their own bubble, safe from the outside world. As she was thinking, she lost sight of the path she was running and stumbled over something in the snow that caused her to lose her balance again for the second time and fall to the ground.

Caitlin laid there, trying to get her bearings back, as Barry walked towards her, trying to hide the fact that he was not laughing.

"It's really not funny, Barry," Caitlin huffed out, sounding a bit breathless from when the wind had been knocked out of her.

"No, but this is," he replied, and Caitlin looked up in time to see him drop a snowball. It landed directly on her face and Caitlin gasped.

"Barry Allen!" Caitlin scolded, wiping away the snow and immediately launching herself to her feet. She chased after him, laughing manically. Barry turned at the last second, catching her as she ran smack into him.

"Oof!" Caitlin huffed for a third time. Barry wrapped his arms around her, wiping away any remains of the white snow.

"You're freezing," he said quietly, pulling her tighter into his body. Caitlin burrowed herself inside of his chest, making a home for herself there. She shook her head.

"I'm fine," she murmured. It was Barry's turn to shake his head.

"Nope. We're getting inside where we can get a fire going and warm up," he replied resolutely, and she laughed.

"That does sound good," she stated. That's how Caitlin found herself half an hour later. Showered and in warm pajamas. Her feet were resting on her boyfriend's lap and they were both drinking a cup of warm tea as the silence wrapped around them like a warm blanket. Caitlin loathed to break the silence, but she was curious about something.

"Hey, babe?" Caitlin asked softly.

"Hmm?"

"Did you and Iris ever have fun like this? Ever just forget the outside world for a bit and pause time?" Caitlin asked, hoping she wasn't going to make him upset by talking about Iris. He looked at her, and it seemed like he was choosing his words with care, so Caitlin just sipped her tea patiently.

"Iris and I were always busy trying to better the world," he said finally.

"In what ways?" Caitlin asked, knowing there was a burning truth buried behind the speedster's words.

"We wanted to see the good in everyone; to see the good in ourselves. When our marriage fell apart, we sort of fell apart right along with it. I didn't know how to piece myself back together. That only happened until recently; a couple of months ago, actually," Barry murmured.

"When you and I got together," Caitlin said thoughtfully.

"Exactly," Barry replied, smiling warmly at her. Caitlin matched his grin.

"I love you," she murmured. He brushed his lips across the corner of her mouth, cheek, and nose, before eventually landing on her lips.

"And, I love you, my Cait," he replied. And that was enough to keep her moving forward.

Fin.


	87. Chapter 87

Author's note: My own prompt about Caitlin dealing with depression because my own depression has been out of whack and it helps me. Hope you enjoy. Prompts accepted in the comments. Have some more to get to, so no worries.

Caitlin knew that Barry offering to be with her through the worst of her depression wasn't enough to help heal her completely. No, that would only come with a lot of focus and dedication on her part. She had to remain dedicated to healing. She had to focus on a way to ease the never-ending cycle of pain she felt. Pain, it seemed, that she couldn't put a name to. Sure, there was the pain of losing Ronnie; of Jay kidnapping her; of not being close to her mother and not having a father anymore; the list was really endless. However, she knew that she had to work on getting to a happier and healthier place.

As Caitlin sat there on her couch, sipping out of her mug of coffee, she reflected on the previous year. Killer Frost had surfaced last year, throwing everything about Caitlin's life into utter chaos. She was now considered a hero; someone the team relied on. Caitlin knew that, while still not completely understanding her powers, the two women relied one each other. That's why she was terribly concerned with the fact that Killer Frost could find out about her depression at any moment.

She didn't want Killer Frost to feel her heart aching sadness; didn't want that to derail a mission. Caitlin knew she was walking a fine line; knew she wasn't doing herself any favors by not accepting help. It first started with Barry casually mentioning the idea of talking to a therapist, dropping hints here and there. The more her depression persisted, however, the more Barry grew increasingly worried. It seemed he had no qualms about outright telling Caitlin she should go talk to someone. She still wasn't ready to admit that it had gotten to that point; that she had gotten to that point.

Just then, there was a light knock at her door. Knowing who it was gave Caitlin the energy to go answer it. Standing up from her couch, she made her way to her door, opening it after glancing out of the peephole.

"Fifth day in a row? To what do I owe the pleasure?" Caitlin asked the visitor quietly.

"Well, I'm anything if not thorough, Dr. Snow," Barry replied softly, and she nodded, opening the door further and granting him access into her home. After he had shut the door, she wrapped her arms around her thin frame, hugging herself tightly. She was always so cold these days, something that had absolutely nothing to do with Killer Frost; it had to do with the pain buried deep inside of her. A pain not even she couldn't begin to fathom. Barry stared at her for a long moment, placing his hand down on her shoulder gently. She moved out from underneath his grip as if she had been burned and watched as he let his hand fall back to his side out of the corner of her eye.

"C'mon, let's go sit down," he implored quietly, and she nodded, almost robotically, and made her way back to her couch, tucking her knees up to her chest once she sat down. She didn't know what to say to fill these prolonged silences and neither, it seemed, did Barry. He would sit there next to her, equally as quiet, and they would stay there, tucked away in a safe little bubble away from the world.

Caitlin often used these quiet moments to reflect further on her life. How she had gotten to this point and what she did, (or didn't), do to prevent the depression from strangling her in the first place. Barry always seemed to know that she wasn't able to talk during his visits because he would just sit beside her, quietly. And, when the third or fourth round of tears fell, he would simply hand the box of tissues resting on her end table, murmuring gentle reassurances. Reassurances that it was okay; that she was okay. That she was safe.

Caitlin would tether herself to his soft reassurances, wrapping herself around his words firmly. They were her life preserver; the only things helping her keep her head afloat. As the tears fell, Barry dared to place his hand on her should again and, this time, she didn't jerk away from him. Perhaps it was because she was too consumed by the raging sea of despair inside of her; maybe it was because she was so damn exhausted that she simply couldn't move. Whatever the reason, she found his gentle pressure to her shoulder oddly comforting; a reminder that he was still there with her, fighting alongside her.

By the time Caitlin's well had run dry, and her tears were replaced by a dull ache in her chest, Barry was looking at her.

"Have you thought anymore about talking to someone, Caitlin?" Barry asked quietly, and she sighed, running a hand over her face tiredly.

"I'm not sure I'm ready to admit that it's that bad," she whispered, heart clenching uncomfortably. Barry laced his fingers through hers', squeezing them gently.

"Honey, it's that bad," he murmured, and Caitlin bit her lip. He was right, and Caitlin knew it. She also knew that Barry only ever spoke this gently with her when he needed to make her see reason. He was never harsh or judgmental with his words; never accusatory or demanding. He was just simply kind, and that was more than Caitlin could begin to wrap her mind around. And, she couldn't express how much it meant to her. Especially now.

She thought about his advice, weighing each word with care as she thought over her options. Deny help and keep sinking further into the quicksand; accept help and maybe get a grip on this before it pulls her under completely.

"You wouldn't judge me for it?" Caitlin asked quietly, wrapping her sweater more tightly around her.

"Of course not," he murmured, and she heard the honest sincerity in his words. She fell silent for another moment, thinking about it.

"I've made a mess of things," she murmured. "Maybe it's time I fixed it."

He squeezed her hand, kissing her temple gently. While they hadn't put a name to what they were, they were definitely something. She was astounded that once he saw how bad her life had gotten, he still wanted to be apart of it. It left her raw and vulnerable, in ways she hadn't been in a long time. It also left her with a glimmer of hope.

"That only way up is starting from the bottom," he encouraged, and that was enough. For now.

Fin.

Author's note: Hope you like. Prompts accepted in the comments.


	88. Chapter 88

Author's note: Got a request about Barry not having powers, so decided to make an AU with this one shot. Set in college verse. Hope you like it.

Caitlin could feel someone's eyes on her from the way the hairs on the back of her neck stood up. Inhaling, she chanced a glance behind her, only to spot someone dropping their eyes quickly. Frowning, she stared at him for a moment, before looking to her best friend.

"Cisco, who's the guy in the third seat, two rows back?" Caitlin asked out of the corner of her mouth. Cisco turned around.

"Don't turn around!" Caitlin hissed, and Cisco whipped his head back to the front, frown toying at his lips.

"Uh, you want me to tell you who the dude is who totally got busted by me for staring at you without turning around? Right," Cisco drawled, and Caitlin rolled her eyes.

"Since you're the least subtle person I know, I should've expected that type of reaction. Anyways, now that you looked at him, who is he?" Caitlin whispered.

"That'd be one Barry Allen," Cisco muttered, jotting down notes. Caitlin's brow furrowed, a memory surfacing to the front of her brain.

"Why does that name sound familiar?" Caitlin asked softly, and Cisco sighed.

"We were friends with him in grade school," he clarified, and it suddenly registered with Caitlin who he was.

"Oh yeah, he chose Iris West over us to be friends with, that's right," Caitlin replied.

"Green wasn't your best color back then and it's sure as hell not your best color now, Cait," Cisco sang underneath his breath, and she had to resist the temptation to swat him. She rolled her eyes.

"Whatever. I just don't get why he was staring at me, is all," she murmured, dropping her eyes back to the notes she was taking.

"Beats me," Cisco replied, eyes already back on his own notebook as well. She shrugged, pushing the thought to the back of her mind. She didn't have the time to deal with whatever Barry Allen wanted; not when finals were rapidly approaching.

XXX

As the week progressed, it seemed like everywhere Caitlin looked, Barry Allen was close by. She found herself in the coffee house on campus after one particularly trying day, waiting in an endless line. A soft throat clearing clued her into the fact that someone was trying to get her attention and she turned around, coming face-to-face with Barry Allen.

"Alright, that's it. Are you following me or something, Allen?" Caitlin hissed, folding her arms across her chest tightly. If the rose red color steadily filling up his cheeks was anything to go by, he wasn't expecting her to call him out.

"F-following you? N-no!" Barry stuttered, shifting around on the balls of his feet. He was uncomfortable, Caitlin deduced; something she could easily admit to being as well. Sighing, she pinched the bridge of her nose.

"Then why, Allen, have I seen you more this week than I have since grade school?" Caitlin asked as calmly as she could muster, which was hard work. She was tired and stressed and still had a long night of studying ahead of her. Barry sighed, before nodding.

"I-I just wanted to say I heard about your dad," he muttered, and Caitlin's heart clenched painfully. Not even a full semester had gone by since his death and the pain didn't seem to want to lessen. Biting her lip, she nodded.

"Thanks," she muttered, tucking her hair behind her ear.

"He was a good man," Barry added, and something that felt suspiciously like red-hot anger bubbled in her belly, threatening to break free. What did he know about her father?

"Thanks," she snapped. "But, you know him what, fifteen years ago? You don't get the right to say that."

With that, she snatched her cup of coffee the poor barista had been trying to hand her and walked away, forcing herself to not lose her cool completely.

XXX

"He has some nerve!" Caitlin burst out angrily ten minutes later, to a poor, unsuspecting Cisco.

"Who?" Cisco queried.

"Allen!" Caitlin snapped, and Cisco winced.

"So, I'm taking it that you two talked? What did he want?" Cisco asked.

"To say he heard about my dad, and that he was a good man. Can you believe him?" Caitlin asked, frustration still tingling in her hands.

Cisco looked confused. "Uh, Cait, your dad was a good man."

Caitlin glared at her best friend. "Barry Allen still doesn't get the right to talk about him."

"Please don't tell me you told him that?" Cisco implored, and she narrowed her eyes.

"Who's side are you on, Francisco?" Caitlin hissed, and he held his hands up placatingly

"Yours', I'm always on yours'. I'm not the enemy here. And, neither is Barry," Cisco said quietly. Caitlin stared at him, opening her mouth to pop out a retort, but he kept talking.

"I think," Cisco pressed on. "The person you're really mad at in this situation is yourself, Cait."

"Enlighten me, then," Caitlin muttered, sitting down on their couch in their apartment.

"I think, you're still grieving the loss of your father, as you should be, and you're mad when anyone talks about him because it brings up the painful memory of his death," Cisco said quietly. Caitlin, though not wanting to admit it, knew he had a point. Her father's illness had been painful, for everyone. He got sick right before she went to college and, even though she offered to stay back and help him, he pushed her to get her degree. The last thing he had spoken to her about was a favor he needed from her. He said he had needed her to graduate and make something of herself. She swore she would and then, as light as feather, he drifted away from her. Permanently.

Caitlin sighed.

"I hate you when you're right," she muttered.

"So, you hate me all the time," Cisco laughed.

They both fell silent then, each lost in their own thoughts.

"You need to apologize to him, you know," Cisco commented quietly.

Caitlin sighed again. "I know."

XXX

The opportunity to apologize to him presented itself the next day. Caitlin was back in the coffee shop, buried behind a teetering stack of books. Someone cleared their throat and she looked up; Barry was staring back down at her.

"I'm sorry," they both blurted out at the same time, chuckling a little once they realized that they had.

"Please, sit down," Caitlin encouraged, pushing some of her books to the side. Barry slid into the seat and looked at her. She bit her lip, before nodding.

"You have to know, yesterday wasn't about you," she said quietly.

"What was it about then?" Barry asked.

"Me," she replied, tucking some loose strands of hair that had slipped out of her braid behind her ear. She sighed.

"I miss my father more than I can express and every time someone brings him up, it's like the knife is being lodged even further into the gut," she murmured. Barry studied her, and she looked down, protecting herself from his prying eyes.

"I'm sorry," he said finally, and she looked up. There was a look of regret on his face, and something curious burning behind his words that gave her the impression he was apologizing not only for her father.

"Sorry for what?" Caitlin asked carefully.

"Everything," he said quietly. They stared at each other, and she knew they were both thinking about that time in their senior year of high school when they had met up in the photography room and shared a moment. No one, not even Cisco, had known about that kiss. Once the kissed happened, Caitlin realized what it had meant. She had caused Barry to cheat on his girlfriend, Iris, and she wasn't happy about it. Despite his protests, she ran from him and never looked back, choosing to forget about him. She had forced herself to not think about him in general so much, she wasn't surprised to know why she didn't recognize him right off the bat.

"How's Iris?" Caitlin asked, changing the topic.

"Good. Even better when her boyfriend, Eddie, is in town," he replied, and Caitlin sighed.

"You two couldn't make it work?" Caitlin asked quietly, and he shook his head.

"No, there was someone always in the way," he murmured. Caitlin stared at him for a long moment, feeling something akin to hope swelling inside of her.

"Barry…" she trailed off, unsure of what to say.

"How about a cup of coffee? On me," he said, and she took the offer, deciding to not question anything for once.

"Sounds perfect."

"We can make up for lost time," he added, and she smiled hesitantly.

"Sounds even more perfect."

Fin,

Prompts accepted in the comments.


	89. Chapter 89

AUTHOR'S NOTE: DON'T READ IF YOU HAVE YET TO SEE LAST NIGHT'S EPISODE. THAT IS ALL.

The first thing Caitlin was aware of was a dull pain in the back of her skull; throbbing consistently. Then, came the ringing in her ears. What happened? She didn't have the answer, nor know how to begin to look for the answer. She then became aware of the fact that her eyes were closed and opened them slowly, looking around. She immediately spotted Barry and Cisco on either side of her.

"What happened?" Caitlin groaned.

"You're awake," Cisco muttered, relief coloring his orbs. "You hit your head pretty hard during training; you have a concussion."

Ouch. "Well, I'm fine. Let's get back to training." Caitlin made a move to sit up, but Barry stopped her, pushing her back down onto the bed.

"You need to stay still," he said. "And, I'm through training you guys."

"Because of one tiny accident?" Caitlin demanded incredulously.

"Caitlin, I saw you go down. Something prevented you from remaining calm," Barry said quietly.

Caitlin thought over the therapist's words. Was it something she was repressing? A memory trying to break free at long last? She quickly banished that thought from her mind; she had a great childhood, nothing worthy of repressing. She shook her head, then quickly stopped, once it affected her concussion.

"Barry, I'm fine," Caitlin insisted, but Barry was resolute.

"No," he reiterated, standing up. "Get some rest."

He walked off then, leaving Caitlin and Cisco to look at each other, lost for words.

XXX

Caitlin watched as Barry and Cisco continued to talk to each other in increasingly loud voices. She knew that she should intervene, break up the argument, but she also knew they needed to get these things off their chests. She watched as Cisco explained his guilt over the speed force; his guilt over bringing Barry back in the first place. Her heart ached for her best friend, but she knew he wouldn't want to be coddled, so didn't say anything.

When Iris and Harry walked in, Caitlin shook her head slightly, letting them know to not interrupt. Progress was finally being made between the members of Star Labs, and if it took raised voices to get them there, then so be it. When Caitlin noticed Barry's resolve crumbling, she locked eyes with him, and smiled gently.

"Let us help you carry some of that weight, superhero," she murmured. He studied her for a long moment, before looking back at Cisco, who was nodding his head encouragingly. Finally, Barry nodded once.

"Alright, let's train," he said, and Caitlin and Cisco both set off to get ready for the next round of training. As she hurried to the training room, Caitlin briefly wondered about what she had seen as a little girl that caused her to forget the memory. Or, to force it out of her memory, permanently. Was it the car? Did she get hit by the car and have severe trauma from that? Possibly, but now was not the time to worry about that. Not when they had a criminal to outsmart.

XXX

Cisco and Caitlin high-fived each other for a job well done once the hostages had been freed. As Cisco was reassuring the last hostage that everything was alright, Caitlin was thinking furiously fast. True, she hadn't been triggered during the mission, but she was desperate to know what had caused her so much fear at that young age. Watching the woman walk off, she inhaled shakily and made her way to her best friend.

"Good job, Caitlin," Cisco praised, but she shook her head, not wanting to be deterred.

"I have something to confess. When I fell during training, Barry was right: something had caused me to lose focus. I think there's a memory I've been repressing for a long time, too long, and now it's trying to break to the surface. I need you to vibe me back to the day that memory was created," Caitlin said, and Cisco looked at her.

"Are you sure you can handle that? Maybe there's a reason it's been repressed for so long, Cait," Cisco warned, but Caitlin shook her head stubbornly.

"Please, Cisco," she implored quietly. After studying her for a moment, he nodded. He told her to think about the memory and to hold onto him tightly. Then, they were traveling back down Caitlin's memory lane, back to the day when she was a scared little girl. Once there, Caitlin blinked, looking around. She saw herself.

"There I am, and there's the car," she muttered, and Cisco looked at the scene with wide eyes. Soon enough, she heard her younger self screaming while her dad encouraged her to not look at something. Caitlin hurried forward, to see what had her so afraid and nearly stumbled. She was looking at Killer Frost's reflection in the mirror. Staring at herself, she noticed how horror-stricken she looked. She wanted to offer comfort, to say it wasn't as bad as it seemed, but she couldn't get her feet to move. Instead, Cisco grabbed ahold of her arm and they were hurtling back to the present moment.

"Cisco!" Caitlin gasped, staring at him with wide eyes. "Killer Frost has always been apart of me. How is that possible?"

Cisco was at a loss for words and, so was she.

XXX

After promising Cisco she was fine, and just looking for a little time to think, she made her way back to cortex by herself. Her thoughts were a swirling mess, and she was having a hard time latching onto one to focus on. She nearly bumped into something as she walked, she was that distracted.

"Woah, there," Barry said, stopping her from tumbling to the ground. She blinked, before looking at him.

"Sorry," she muttered. "Wasn't watching where I was walking."

Barry nodded, and looked at her.

"How's the head?" Barry asked.

She shrugged. "Been better."

Barry frowned in sympathy. "Maybe you should head home."

Caitlin shook her head. "Can't, too much to be done."

They fell silent then, and Caitlin let her thoughts run rampant. She, for the first time ever, wondered if somehow her powers had something to do with her father's death. She simply didn't know. She wasn't even aware that she was chewing at her thumbnail until Barry pulled her thumb away from her mouth.

"You'll break the skin," he said quietly, and she nodded absentmindedly.

"Where's your head at?" Barry asked, and she sighed, not sure if she wanted to tell him. But, she needed to talk to someone about her thoughts. Nodding, she cleared her throat.

"You know how you said it looked like something had stopped me during training?" Caitlin asked quietly, and Barry nodded, frowning.

"You were right, something did stop me from training. A repressed memory. The only reason I know it was repressed was because of the team therapist, really. She suggested there might have been trauma in my life," Caitlin murmured.

"And, was there?" Barry asked hesitantly, and she sighed, trying to figure out how to explain it.

"I-I remembered a car. And, myself, riding my bike. Then, my leg got caught and I fell as the car slammed on it's breaks. I was screaming my head off and my dad was trying to calm me down. That's all I remembered of the memory, so I had Cisco vibe me to that time tonight," she said quietly. She wrapped her arms around herself, feeling cold.

"And, do you know what scared you so much?" Barry asked softly.

Caitlin inhaled shakily. "Killer Frost."

Barry stared at her for a long moment, and she wished he wouldn't; it made her feel raw and on display.

"But the Particle Accelerator hadn't even been invented at the point," Barry said quietly, and Caitlin nodded.

"I know," she whispered, hugging herself tighter.

They stayed quiet for a long time, each absorbed in their own thoughts. Caitlin eventually spoke up.

"I wonder how my parents knew about Killer Frost before I did. And, I wonder if my abilities had anything to do with my…my…," she trailed off, unable to voice her fear out loud.

"Your what, Caitlin?" Barry asked quietly.

"Dad's death," she mumbled, blinking back tears. He squeezed her shoulder comfortingly.

"I can swear to you they didn't," Barry assured, and she looked at him.

"You don't think so?" Caitlin asked hopefully, wanting to free herself of some of the fear dancing through her system.

"No. Killer Frost was never evil," he said with conviction, and that was the permission she was looking for. The permission to forgive herself for a long-lost part of her. She sighed.

"Thanks, Barry," she murmured. He squeezed her shoulder again, just as Cisco headed into the cortex.

"Dude, we stopped him!" Cisco praised, and Barry nodded.

"I know!"

Caitlin smiled warmly at her two friends right as the alert system started blaring and she jumped out of her skin.

"Uh, what is that?" Caitlin asked.

"The alert system for an intruder," Cisco replied, looking around nervously.

Barry was the first to understand. "Devoe is here."

Caitlin and Cisco exchanged panicked looks as Barry raced from the room. By the time they realized he was gone, Caitlin heard him shouting Devoe's name over and over. She bolted from the room, with Cisco quickly following. When they found Barry slumped against the wall, banging his fist on it, Caitlin knew whatever had happened was bad. Very bad.

"What happened?" Caitlin whispered.

In a voice of fear, Barry looked at her. "The Enlightenment."

Fin.

Author's note: SO. Based on next week's episode, I'll probably write another one shot for this particular episode. I know that I rewrote some of what happened, but I had really wished for a scene between Caitlin and Barry last night that talked about her repressed memory, so I wrote it for myself. If you're looking for another oneshot about this particular episode, but want to see something different, just send me a comment. Prompts accepted in the comments. Enjoy. Xxx


	90. Chapter 90

Author's prompt: AU marriage proposal, in Caitlin's perspective. Enjoy! Xxx

Caitlin Snow absolutely loved her job as an eleventh-grade History teacher. Her students were quick learners and had a passion for knowledge. True, junior year was no easy year to tackle, Caitlin's students still managed to impress her with their ability to understand the material she taught them. She, for her credit, was a kind and fair teacher, encouraging the students to perform to the best of their capabilities. However, she knew when they needed a respite from her course load as well, and often schedule field trips to help keep them encouraged.

Then, there were the other teachers Caitlin was quite fond of. The Biochemistry teacher, Cisco Ramon, was one of her favorite people on the planet. The two friends had met in college and found out they both wanted to be teachers. It was pure magic that they wanted to teach at the same school, as well. Cisco had been like a brother to her, helping her with the death of her college sweetheart, Ronnie. When Caitlin was too depressed to get out of her apartment, Cisco would show up, and sit on her couch with her, not saying anything. They would just sit in silence, and it allowed Caitlin the opportunity to grieve what she had, what she lost, and what could have been. Cisco was there for it all.

And then, there was her favorite colleague in general. Barry Allen, the senior Physics teacher. Barry joined the school two years after Caitlin and Cisco had begun teaching, and he had wormed his way into their lives. First, it was his charisma and charm; but truthfully, Caitlin just felt a kinship with him that she hadn't felt with anyone, not since Ronnie. Soon, Barry and Caitlin were eating lunch together in the staff room; going over lesson plans during their off periods; breaking up disagreements between students in the hallways. Caitlin and Barry learned to rely on one another when things got tough; especially when things got tough. They were one another's safe haven.

To nobody's surprise, least of all Cisco's, Barry and Caitlin began dating fairly quickly. At first, it was a quiet dinner at one of their apartments; a stolen kiss in the staff room when no one was around. Soon, they were comfortable with sharing their relationship as long as it didn't get in the way of their jobs. It didn't. They were simply existing with one another. Just the two of them in their world.

One morning, as Caitlin was starting to wake up, she felt the bed dip and opened her eyes, to spot Barry sitting down next to her, smiling warmly.

"Why are you dressed already? We don't have to leave for another hour and a half," Caitlin murmured. Barry smiled.

"Remember: I have the early tutorials this morning," Barry replied, carding his hand through her messy locks. She yawned into her elbow.

"Oh, yes, that's right. And, I have the afternoon ones," she said. They had switched schedules last week because Barry said he needed to be on the morning shift. Why he needed to be on the morning shift was a mystery remaining to be solved, but Caitlin wasn't perturbed; extra sleep was only an added bonus in her books.

"Alright, go on and go, you don't want to be late," Caitlin murmured, closing her eyes again. Barry kissed her softly on the forehead before she felt his weight leave the bed. She opened her eyes once more.

"And, there better be some coffee left, Allen," she warned. His melodious laughter was the last thing she heard before she slipped back into dreaming.

XXX

By the time Caitlin had made it to the school, she was much more awake and with it, thanks to the large thermos of coffee she was carrying. She walked the somewhat quiet halls to her classroom to begin preparing for the day. She received a start when she noticed her door open. Pausing briefly, she peeked her head in and noticed her entire first period already sitting at their desks.

"Why are you all here so early?" Caitlin asked, confused. Then, she became fearful. "Did I promise you guys morning tutorials and forget?"

One girl, a shy girl by the name of Jenny, shook her head.

"No, Ms. Snow, you didn't forget," she said quietly. "Read the blackboard."

Caitlin followed her student's tilted head and read the black board. She mouthed the words, "Ms. Snow, will you marry Mr. Allen?" and froze.

"Marry Mr. Allen?" Caitlin whispered. She looked around, to see if this was some sort of joke, but all of her students were grinning broadly at her.

"Where is he?" Caitlin grinned, heart beating rather fast. A tall guy named Jacob stood up.

"Follow us, Ms. Snow," he encouraged and, stumbling a little, Caitlin followed him, and the rest of her students out of her classroom and to the hallway. Jacob paused right by a locker, (his locker, apparently), and opened it, pulling out a card, and passed it to Caitlin. She took it and opened it with fumbling fingers.

My dearest Cait,

I want to thank you for everything you've taught me these past five years. You have been the absolute definition of kind and gentle love. If you want to know how this ends, keeping following your students

-Barry

Tears welling up in her eyes, Caitlin laughed.

"Well, lets not keep him waiting. Ms. Snow," Ashley said, and she nodded a little. The group made their way down the hallway and stopped right outside of Cisco's door.

"Mr. Ramon, if you please," Jacob said, and the Biochemistry teacher popped his head out of his door, tucking his long hair behind his ears, grinning from ear to ear.

"Got a present for you, Ms. Snow," Cisco greeted her, passing off another card to her. Caitlin opened it eagerly.

Caitlin,

If you're holding this second card, I want to thank you for all the life lessons you've taught me. And the ones you taught yourself. You allowed yourself to open up to another person after losing the one man you thought would never leave you. I know I can't begin to fathom the kind of pain you endured, but I do hope I have helped heal your heart, even a tiny bit. If you're still interested to see what happens, follow Mr. Ramon. He'll know where to go.

Your love,

Barry.

Caitlin looked at Cisco, tears running down her cheeks, and he smiled.

"You're doing so good, Caitlin," he whispered, squeezing her shoulder. She laughed.

"Lets go, shall we?" Caitlin whispered, and he nodded, before leading her out of his class room and down to the Physics hall. The hallway was empty, minus her group. Caitlin let Cisco lead her to Barry's classroom and was surprised to find it empty.

"Where is everyone?" Caitlin asked, certain Barry had said he had morning tutorials. Just then, a note on the blackboard caught her eye, and she read it.

Turn around.

Heart in her throat, Caitlin turned around slowly, only to spot the man she loved down on one knee. Tears in her throat, Caitlin watched as he plastered a beaming smile across his face.

"Ms. Snow," he said.

"Mr. Allen," she murmured, smiling at him. Barry nodded his head a little, before speaking.

"Caitlin Snow, you are, without a doubt, the best thing that has ever happened to me. Each day I come to love you more and more. You're so gentle and sweet; so kind and caring. You've seen heartache, but you don't wear your pain as a guard. You let me in. All the way in. And for that, I can't thank you enough. I love you more than I can express; more than I can make sense of at times. Please, please, say you'll do me the absolute honor of being my wife?" Barry asked, popping open the ring box in his hand. Not looking at the ring for a second, Caitlin nodded her head vigorously.

"Yes, yes, yes, yes!" Caitlin said, jumping on Barry as she laughed. He caught her, laughing himself, and began spinning her around. Just then, there was a burst of applause and Caitlin blinked, forgetting for a moment that her students and Cisco were still in the room. Laughing, Caitlin smiled at them.

"This was the best surprise I could've ever hoped for. Thank you, guys, truly," she said, and the students grinned at her.

"You deserve it, Ms. Snow," Jenny said. Caitlin smiled kindly at her.

"Thank you, Jenny," she replied. Just then, the morning bell rang, and Caitlin unwound her arms from her fiancé's shoulders.

"I'll see you at home, Mr. Allen," she murmured, and he grinned.

"It's a date, soon-to-be Mrs. Allen," he replied.

"I could get used to that," she said softly.

"I could, too," he murmured, before they parted ways. As her and her students walked back to her class, Jacob spoke up randomly.

"So, Ms. Snow, in a good enough mood to not assign homework tonight?"

Fin.

Author's note: Prompts accepted in the comments. Xxx


	91. Chapter 91

Author's note: Prompt about Caitlin getting into a relationship and Barry acting overprotective, later coming to the realization he has feelings for her. Enjoy! Xxx

Barry watched as Caitlin Snow walked away from him, smile firmly intact. What had her smiling like that, he didn't know. He could honestly say he didn't remember the last time she seemed so happy. If he had to make an educated guess, well, he'd say it was when she found out Ronnie was alive and then again, on her wedding day. So, that begged the question: what had his personal care physician smiling like that? He wasn't sure, but he was going to find out.

After Caitlin walked out of the cortex, he waited a couple of moments before following her. He watched as she hurried to her car and sighed. Looked like he'd be following her car on foot. Fantastic. When she pulled away from the parking lot, Barry waited another couple of moments before running, hoping she wouldn't spot his electricity dancing in her rearview mirror. Eventually, she reached her apartment and parked, with him skidding to a stop right on the outskirts of her complex. He watched as she walked up to her building, quickly disappearing inside. He followed promptly afterwards.

Once he was inside of her building, he really didn't know what to do with himself. The last few times he had been here was to help Caitlin sort through her depression. Admittedly, he was relieved to not have to be back under those circumstances; her smile was good in that sense. However, that brought back the question of what had her so happy. As he thought about it, he saw someone moving in his peripheral. Blinking, he noticed a tall man with jet black hair making his way towards the elevators. Not wishing to be caught, Barry ducked behind a plant right by the front desk, waiting until the man was out of sight.

"Ahem." Barry looked up, startled, only to spot the concierge looking at him.

"Oh, uh, sorry," Barry muttered, cheeks heating up. He didn't have to study the scowl across the other man's face to know that he knew Barry didn't belong there. Rubbing the back of his neck nervously, Barry shifted around on the balls of his feet.

"Would you believe me if I said I was waiting for a friend?" Barry asked hopefully.

The concierge's eyes narrowed. "No."

Nodding, Barry sighed. "That's what I thought. I'll be leaving now. Sorry."

Not hanging around long enough to find out if the concierge was going to have him arrested for trespassing, Barry hurried out of the complex. Once outside, Barry hesitated. He still wanted to know why Caitlin was so happy. Maybe he should just go ask her. But, he reasoned with himself, if he brought up her surprising happiness unexpectedly, surely there was a chance it would diminish until it was depression once again. Yeah, not on his watch.

Barry headed home, planning out how best it would be to approach Caitlin.

XXX

The next day showed Caitlin approaching him.

"Hey, Barry," she smiled, and he matched it.

"Hey, Caitlin," he said, eyes studying her expression. Some of the hollowness had left her eyes; the hues soft and warm again. He liked when they were that way. "What's up?"

Caitlin bit her lip as she looked around. "I-I was wondering if you were busy tonight?"

That caused Barry to pause. Was she…no, she wasn't. Was she?

"No. Why?" Barry asked carefully, schooling his expression.

"I was wondering if maybe you and Iris wanted to go on a double date?" Caitlin asked.

"Iris and I aren't dating, though," Barry replied, bewildered. Caitlin nodded, laughing slightly.

"A friendship double date," she amended.

"And, who's the other friends we're meeting up with?" Barry asked, curiosity piqued.

"Well," Caitlin hedged, wringing her hands together. "It's actually another couple. Who started out as friends but are now dating."

Barry blinked. "Who is this couple?"

"My…my boyfriend and I," Caitlin replied, blushing. It was as if the earth suddenly slipped out from beneath Barry. That was what had Caitlin smiling more often? She had a new boyfriend? Barry wasn't certain of course, but the feeling coursing through him suspiciously felt like jealousy if he had to put a name to it. Question was: why was he jealous of Caitlin dating again? He had absolutely no right to be jealous. Still, didn't ease the fire being ignited in his stomach and snaking it's way up his torso. He forced himself to swallow, nearly wincing at how rough his throat had gone. Nodding, he exhaled.

"S-Sure, Cait. We'd love to," he replied, forcing himself to make his words sound sincere. He wasn't sure how well he measured up, but Caitlin didn't seem to notice. Or, if she did, she didn't let on to the fact. She smiled.

"Thanks, Barry," she murmured, squeezing him on the shoulder with a quick, "see you guys later!" before heading out of the labs, leaving Barry to drown in his new-found jealousy and self-pity.

XXX

That night, the four of them gathered at a restaurant on the edge of the city. It was quiet; quaint. And, Barry thought, not good enough for Caitlin and definitely not good enough for man who has hair like Harry Potter. Smirking slightly, Barry forced his attention back on the event: dinner.

"So, Barry, Caitlin tells me you're a forensic scientist?" Harry Potter junior asked. Seriously, the guy had glasses just like Harry Potter himself. They looked better on Harry Potter. Iris kicked him, clueing him into the fact that he had yet to answer. Resisting the temptation to glare at his best friend, Barry nodded.

"Yeah, Jimmy, I'm a forensic scientist," he replied.

"It's James," James corrected.

Does it matter? "Sorry."

Barry caught Iris looking at him curiously out of the corner of her eye but didn't acknowledge it.

Caitlin cleared her throat. "James is a book editor."

Fascinating, truly. "What kind of books do you edit?"

James grinned a little. "Well, my favorite is mysteries, but I won't say no to a good love story, either!"

Barry gave a noncommittal jerk of his head and took a sip of his water, wishing, not for the first time, that he could enjoy an alcoholic beverage like a normal person; it might make Jimmy the romantic a bit easier to handle.

"So, Jimmy," Barry started.

"James," Caitlin, Iris, and James all said.

"Traitor," Barry muttered to Iris, low enough only she would be able to hear him. She smirked a little, and Barry resisted the temptation to roll his eyes. For the millionth time that night.

"Right, sorry. James, how long have you and Caitlin been seeing each other?" Barry asked, trying to figure out if what they had was long term.

"Well, we've been friends for a handful of months now, but didn't officially start dating until about three weeks ago," James clarified, and Barry looked quizzically at his doctor.

"We might back at Jitters one night around Christmas," she added, and Barry heard what she wasn't saying: around the time her depression was at it's calmest.

"What's your favorite thing about Caitlin?" Barry asked randomly, and Caitlin tilted her head to the side.

"What?" James asked.

"What's your favorite thing about Caitlin?" Barry repeated, staring at him.

"Well, I like that she's so happy all the time. Seriously, never met a happier person," James replied.

You don't even know her. "That's wonderful. What about the times she's sad?"

James looked at Caitlin, who was glaring at Barry.

"You're never sad, are you babe?" James grinned, and Caitlin returned it weakly.

"No," she murmured, still staring at Barry. He stared at her in turn, and an unspoken question was being asked. For him to not mention her depression. He nodded his head slightly, assuring her he wouldn't. That didn't mean he could make James understand just how important it was to love all sides of her.

"Well, if Caitlin were to ever get sad, you'd still be willing to be with her, right?" Barry asked, and James laughed.

"Of course. We all get a little sad from time to time. It's not like she's depressed or anything," he replied. Barry bit down on his tongue, hard, to ensure he didn't say anything stupid. He glanced at Caitlin, who was looking at her plate.

"Well, even if she did get depressed, not a reason to go running in the opposite direction," Barry said calmly. Iris was looking at him, but before he had a chance to ask her what she needed, she stood up, dragging him up as well.

"If you guys don't mind, I need Barry to come look at my car. It'll only take a moment. You two enjoy yourselves," she said kindly. She marched Barry out of the restaurant and to her car.

"What is your problem?" Iris snapped, and he looked at her bemusedly.

"What do you mean?" Barry questioned, and Iris huffed out an irritated sigh.

"Look, Barr, you've been my best friend practically my whole life, so I know you pretty well. Which is why I am being completely confident in saying you're acting like an overprotective boyfriend," she replied.

Barry blinked, cause, what? "I'm not overprotective."

"Uh, yes you are. Not getting James's name right. Putting him through the third degree. I mean, who cares if Caitlin gets sad? Everyone gets sad," Iris said, throwing her hands up in the air. Barry sighed, knowing Iris wouldn't understand. Not even if he tried to explain it.

"Do you like her?" Iris asked quietly. That caused Barry to falter.

"W-What? No," he shifted around uncomfortably, trying to do damage control. Iris sighed.

"Look, Barr, I know you pretty well. Which is why I know you like her," she murmured, squeezing him on the shoulder. Looking at her, Barry sighed.

"I'm too late," he muttered. "She's already with James."

"For now," Iris replied, smiling slightly.

XXX

The next morning found Barry in the labs early, waiting for a chance to apologize to Caitlin. Once his doctor walked inside, he stuffed his hands inside of his pockets and walked up to her.

"Look, Cait-," he began, but didn't get the chance to finish as soon as she pressed her lips against his. Not sure what was happening, Barry wrapped his arms around her automatically, kissing her back. When they pulled apart, Caitlin rested her forehead against his.

"James and I broke up last night," she murmured.

"What happened?" Barry asked quietly, stroking her hip with his thumb.

"He couldn't handle the competition," she whispered.

Barry stared at her for a long moment, understanding the weight of her words.

"Yeah?" Barry asked hopefully, grinning softly.

Eyes twinkling, Caitlin kissed him again. "Yes."

Fin.

Author's note: Prompts accepted in the comments.


	92. Chapter 92

Author's note: This is a slight AU based off last week's episode. Slight AU in the sense we're fast forwarding season finale and just doing a scene between Caitlin and Barry, based off Caitlin's repressed memory.

Caitlin hugged her cup of coffee more firmly, desperate to seek it's warmth. Ever since Killer Frost had left her, Caitlin had been feeling a chill far different than the one the other woman emanated. This one seemed to come from deep inside her, chilling everything it touched. Caitlin first thought over the therapist's words, about the repressed memory; then she thought over the memory itself. What had happened to trigger Killer Frost breaking free at the tender age she had. As Caitlin gripped her mug, she thought over everything that had occurred in the past few weeks. The Enlightenment, Devoe, the repressed memory; everything. It was almost too much to bear, and yet, she'd shoulder the responsibility with great care because that's what everyone expected of her.

As she let her thoughts drift to wherever they wanted, Caitlin found herself thinking about the memory again. (Well, she had never truly stopped thinking about it, but she digressed). What had happened? Was it the near car accident, forcing her doppelganger to break free in a moment of fear? Caitlin wasn't sure; hadn't been sure of anything in a long time. Sighing, she eventually took a sip of her coffee, staring at the wall opposite her. How she had found herself in the pipeline, she was uncertain of, but, it was a nice place for some quiet. And, it apparently had helped Ralph.

Just then, someone cleared their throat, startling Caitlin out of her musings. "May I come in?"

Blinking, Caitlin looked around, only to spot Barry leaning against the doorframe leading into the pipeline. She nodded.

"Sure," she murmured. She scooted over, to give him room to sit down next to her if he so wished to. After he was seated next to her, they fell into companionable silence. That was one of the many things Caitlin had come to grow fond of with the speedster. How he was quite content without needing conversation to fill silences. He seemed as comfortable with a silence as she was, as long as it wasn't awkward. Their silences hadn't been awkward in quite some time, and she was continuously grateful.

Eventually, Barry looked at Caitlin. "What's got the elusive Dr. Snow hiding out in the pipeline?"

She chuckled, shrugging a shoulder. "Just thinking about some things. And, trying not to think about others."

He hummed, nodding his head a little. "Care to share with the rest of the class?"

Caitlin sighed, thinking over her words, before taking a sip of coffee. After swallowing, she nodded. "I'm just thinking about what Cisco vibed those couple of weeks ago."

"Your repressed childhood memory?" Barry asked quietly, and she nodded.

"Want to talk about it?" Barry asked again, and she sighed.

"Not sure if there's much to talk about, in all honesty. I just can't seem to figure out why Killer Frost has always been apart of me," she murmured.

"And, that makes you angry," Barry summarized, but she shook her head.

"Not really angry, no. More…sad, I suppose," she clarified.

"Why sad?" Barry asked, frowning slightly.

"Sad that I didn't give her a chance to help out sooner. And, now that I actually want her around, she's gone. And all I have left of her is some memory I was blocking out for the majority of my life," Caitlin sighed, massaging her temple.

"What else did you see in that memory, Caitlin?" Barry asked softly.

"Am I really that easy to read?" Caitlin asked, laughing a little.

"Only to me," he replied, bumping his shoulder against hers'.

"And, Cisco," she added, and he rolled his eyes, laughing a little back at her.

"I guess, I'm just really missing my dad," she whispered, staring into her coffee mug. "He was in the memory, as well. He looked so healthy, so full of life; I nearly forgot him like that," she murmured.

"It's not your fault, you know," Barry said softly.

"What isn't?" Caitlin asked, pushing back the moisture that gathered in her eyes.

"His death," Barry murmured. Caitlin nodded, blinking furiously past the tears. When she was certain she wasn't going to cry, she offered a weak smile.

"Thanks," she whispered, and he squeezed her wrist, before they fell silent once more.

"What's your favorite memory of your father?" Barry asked, and Caitlin smiled.

"His laughter," she replied immediately.

"Tell me a bit about it?" Barry asked, and she nodded, smile growing more.

"He had three different types of laughter: one for the world, one for my mom, and one for me. The world was a generic laughter, given out to random passerby; my mom's was gentle and caring, woven through affirmations of love; and mine, was laughter from his belly. I always loved when I could make him laugh, it was my favorite sound on earth," Caitlin said.

"He sounded like a great guy," Barry replied, and Caitlin nodded.

"He was the best," she murmured. "When he died, I wasn't sure how I was going to pick myself back up. It had always been my parents and I. Believe it or not, my mom wasn't always as cold as she is now. Not when my father was alive. He reminded her to go easy on herself and us."

"I'm sure your mother misses him, too," Barry said gently.

"Terribly so," Caitlin affirmed.

"What happened between the two of you is not your fault, either," Barry said, and she bit her lip.

"I like to think I know that, but the truth is this: I feel like our fractured relationship is my fault," she sighed.

"Why?" Barry asked, confusion strong in his tone.

"When my father died, my mom pushed back; I pushed back harder," Caitlin laughed bitterly. "Both of us were too stubborn to help each other. Part of me wishes she was in the memory, as well."

"Why?" Barry asked again, softer tone this time.

"Because then it means my childhood had two parents who were around," Caitlin whispered, heart bleeding at the thought. Barry pulled her into his side, and, at first, she resisted the embrace. Then, sighed, and let herself be hugged.

"Just because she wasn't around in the memory didn't mean your mom didn't love you," Barry said quietly, and Caitlin nodded.

"I know," she murmured, and she did.

"Do you think Cisco taking you back to that day would help you with your memory?" Barry asked, and she shrugged.

"I'm not sure. I'm thinking about going back to therapist, to talk to her about it. She was the first one who suggested it after all," Caitlin replied.

"If you go, can I come with you?" Barry asked, and Caitlin looked at him. He looked so hopeful, and in that moment, Caitlin realized something had changed. Something that she was pushing into the deepest part of her heart, locked away from anyone to see, was pushing forward, demanding attention. She hesitated, before brushing her lips across his cheek gently.

"Yes," she whispered, and he just squeezed her response. That was good enough for now.

FIn

Author's note: Just a short one about the memory, and a little bit about Caitlin's memory of her dad. There will probably be a few more to come about this particular one shot. Enjoy. Prompts accepted in the comments. Xxx


	93. Chapter 93

Caitlin, surprisingly, had grown accustomed to her time with the team therapist. She didn't know what any of the sessions would entail, but she was getting better at dealing with the outcome. Sure, it had been the therapist who first suggested she had a repressed memory, and that took some time and energy to wade her way through, but it wasn't the end of her world. She was still standing tall, coming back time and time again with different things to talk about. Things she couldn't share with her team.

Today's discussion was centered around her friendships. Cisco, Harry, Joe, everyone. Caitlin knew them like she knew the back of her hand so had no trouble spilling her heart out about them. She loved them like they were family; to her, they were. They were the closest things she had had to a family in a long time, Cisco especially. As she talked about the bioengineer, Caitlin made sure to keep some secrets close to heart, locked away in the depths of it. Like, the fact that he was a superhero named Vibe. The therapist didn't need to know that miniscule detail.

"Caitlin," the therapist interrupted. "Tell me a bit more about your relationship with Barry."

Caitlin blinked. "But I already talked about him."

"Humor me," she said, and Caitlin looked at her curiously, before shrugging.

"Alright. Uh, Barry has been a good friend for about four years now," she said, thinking about the course of their friendship.

"We were pretty close friends for the first two years. However…. things happened last year to make us drift apart and we're only now getting our bearings around one another again," she murmured, wishing that fact wasn't like a knife to the lungs.

"How does that make you feel?"

"Uh, alright, I suppose. Not much to be done about it," Caitlin replied, shrugging again. She wondered, not for the first time, why she hadn't tried harder to be a permanent fixture in his life last year. Even when she had her bracelets on and Killer Frost wasn't wreaking havoc, Caitlin had still shied away from Barry.

"And, if something could be done about it, would you do it?"

Caitlin frowned, not sure why the team therapist was suddenly fixated on her friendship with Barry.

"Uh, I guess," Caitlin muttered, suddenly a bit uncomfortable. She had salvaged her friendship with Cisco right away. Well, the bioengineer was too stubborn to not let her salvage; there wasn't much Caitlin had to do. Barry was a trickier matter altogether. True, they were friends, (Barry had called her one of his best friends), Caitlin still felt like there were miles separating them. He had been married to Iris; was still feeling the fallout of his divorce. Him and Caitlin weren't exactly hanging out on the weekends.

The therapist stared through her as easily as if she was made of reflective surface. Caitlin tightened her sweater around her, trying to hide herself from the worst of the prying. The therapist eventually smiled.

"I think, Caitlin, you'd be best to talk to Barry; observe your feelings a bit more closely," she commented wisely, before glancing at her watch. "Our time is up for now. I'll want a report next week." With that, Caitlin was guided out of the room, far more confused than she was when she got there.

XXX

Caitlin eventually made it back to Star Labs by mid-morning. Once she got inside the labs, she spotted everyone already there.

"Hey, where were you this morning?" Cisco greeted her. "I'd thought you'd have been one of the first ones here."

Caitlin shrugged, shifting around on the balls of her feet uncomfortably.

"I, uh, had some errands to run," she hedged, hoping he'd leave it at that; she still hadn't told the team she was seeing their therapist regularly. Cisco studied her, before nodding.

"Alright," he replied, dropping the topic. She sighed in relief before turning her attention on everyone else. Before she could ask them where they needed her, Barry spoke up.

"Caitlin, Cecil and Joe want you to take a look at Cecil, make sure her and the baby are healthy."

Caitlin nodded, smiling kindly at Cecil. "This why, then."

She led Cecil into the examination portion of the cortex, sitting her down on the bed. As she began running the usual tests she had been running on her along, Cecil spoke up.

"What did the therapist mean, "talk to Barry; observe your feelings"? What does she know about my feelings? I so do not have any feelings," Cecil laughed, and Caitlin froze, fear rooting her in place. She chanced a glance at Barry, who looked bemused, and Joe, who looked amused.

"Uh, Cecil?" Caitlin asked weakly, praying she could get the other woman to stop talking.

"I mean, the repressed memory, sure, I get. I did have one. And, I'm figuring it out. But feelings for Barry? Not a chance in hell," Cecil scoffed, and Caitlin felt like she could melt right through the floor. It was one thing to hear her internal chatter; a whole other thing for it be vocalized.

"Uh, Caitlin, what is she talking about?" Barry asked dumbly.

"I'd think that's something we'd all like to know, Dr. Snow," Joe added, his eyes twinkling. Caitlin was mortified.

"I have no idea," she quickly dismissed.

"Are you sure about that, Caitlin?" Joe asked, smirking.

"Shut up, Joe," Cecil said, glaring at him. Caitlin winced.

"Sorry, must've been thinking that one," she whispered, and Joe laughed. Barry blinked.

"Cecil's voicing your thoughts?" Barry demanded incredulously. Caitlin nodded weakly.

"Side effect of the pregnancy and her powers," she muttered, picking up the device she had made to regulate Cecil's abilities. Before anything else could be said, she hurried to Cecil and held it in front of her.

"Use this," she instructed, passing it off to Cecil. Once Cecil had gained control of herself, she looked at Caitlin, mirroring the mortification the doctor was feeling on the inside.

"Oh my god, Caitlin," she muttered, and Caitlin shrugged weakly.

"It's fine, side effects. Let me just run the tests and then you can go." And, I'll be going right along with you. And, I'll crawl into a hole and forget any of this has happened.

Caitlin ran all of her tests quickly, making sure everything about Cecil and the baby were healthy. Soon enough, she took her stethoscope out of her ears, and wrapped it around her neck. Looking at Joe, she began to speak.

"Cecil is doing remarkably well at this stage in her pregnancy. Few more days and she'll be delivering a healthy baby," she promised, noting the identical looks of relief that washed over Joe and Cecil's faces.

"Thanks, Caitlin," Joe replied.

"Yeah, thanks," Cecil whispered, head hanging low. Caitlin squeezed her on the shoulder.

"Now if you don't mind, I've got to be going," she muttered, clicking her heels across their floor in her attempt at a fast escape, not looking back once.

XXX

It was sometime later that found Caitlin in the pipeline. It had been her place of solace lately; a place to really clear her mind of the endless thoughts running around. She leaned against the wall, staring into one of the cells unseeingly. Trust Cecil to voice Caitlin's thoughts. How could Caitlin have been so stupid as to not expect that to happen? She should've done more to prevent it from happening in the first place. Sighing, she massed her forehead as someone cleared their throat softly.

"May I join you, Caitlin?" Barry asked and she jumped half a foot in the air before turning to look at him, cheeks dusted red.

"Free pipeline," she muttered, averting eye contact. He chuckled, walking towards her at a leisurely pace. He sat down on the floor, patting the spot next to him for her to join. After hesitating a moment, she sat down slowly beside him.

"So," she began awkwardly. "How much of that made sense to you?"

"Enough," Barry replied quietly, and Caitlin sighed in frustration.

"Fantastic," she groaned, bringing her hands to her face. Barry stopped her, pulling them back from shielding her, and held them in his hands.

"Don't hide from me, Caitlin, don't you dare," he murmured, and she looked at him.

"I want you to just listen, alright?" Barry asked quietly, and she nodded mutely.

"When Cecil was… externalizing all of your thoughts, you weren't the only one who felt embarrassed," Barry murmured. Caitlin sighed, and opened her mouth to apologize.

"Let me finish, Cait," he said, and she promptly closed her mouth.

"I was embarrassed because it took Cecil vocalizing your thoughts to make me realize mine. Or, not so much realize them, they've always been there. I needed to address them. Address the growing feelings I've been pushing further and further away from me," he murmured, and Caitlin stared at him.

"What?" Caitlin whispered, and Barry laced their fingers together, tracing soothing circles across the back of her knuckles with the pad of his thumb.

"There was more to buried behind the reason of my divorce," Barry admitted quietly, and Caitlin blinked.

"Barry…" she began, trailing off. She wasn't sure what she was supposed to say to that confession. He smiled slightly.

"What do you say about taking things slow and figuring out whatever this thing is between us? Together?" Barry asked, and it took all of her energy to not kiss him right then and there.

"I think," she whispered. "I'd like that very much."

"And, so would I," Barry murmured, brushing his lips across her forehead. She nestled into the touch, feeling whole at last.

XXX

The following week brought another appointment and the therapist didn't even try to hide her smirk. Figures.

Fin.

Author's note: Prompts accepted in the comments. Xxx


	94. Chapter 94

SPOILERS (A BIT) FROM SEASON FINALE. DON'T READ UNLESS YOU HAVE SEEN IT.

Author's note: Anon requested secret Snowbarry relationship and people find out. Enjoy. Xxx

Caitlin and Barry had been sneaking around for the better part of the past three months, determined to hide their relationship from people. It wasn't that they were shy about it; they just didn't see the need to uproot the team or send them into even further chaos, especially after Devoe. Caitlin, while being accepting of the decision she and Barry had made as a couple, would be lying to herself if she said it didn't disappoint her a bit to not go public. It wasn't that she wanted the congratulatory remarks, (if, there were any); it was that she wanted to show off how proud she was to finally call Barry hers'. But, she did accept the decision they made, so stayed quiet.

One morning found the pair sharing sweet and slow kisses with one another, exploring their partner's mouth. Caitlin had tangled herself around her boyfriend's body, and Barry was carding his fingers through her hair. True, the events of Devoe the previous year had sent the team through the ringer, Caitlin was quite content with the outcome.

"I could just stay here all morning, in bed, with you," Barry murmured against her lips. Caitlin sighed happily, nestling herself further into his arms.

"Then, lets do it," she whispered, eyes firmly shut. "Stay away from the outside world. Just have a day to ourselves. We deserve it."

Barry laughed, the vibrations starting in his chest. "Sweetheart, as a superhero you know the city doesn't get a day off."

She groaned. "I know."

They laid there for another fifteen minutes, just enjoying the feeling of the other. Eventually, Caitlin pushed herself off his chest and sat up as her phone went off with a notification. After reading Cisco's text, she sighed.

"Looks like our day just started," she muttered, showing the text to Barry. He read it and laughed.

"Of course he wants you to stop for bagels," Barry commented fondly. Caitlin rolled her eyes.

"Of course," she replied. They looked at each other, before nodding and got up.

"I'll see you at the labs, sweetheart," Barry murmured, kissing her gently on the forehead. Caitlin's eyes fluttered closed upon contact, and she wrapped her arms around his waist, dropping a kiss to his chest.

"I'll see you there," she whispered, letting him go. He sent her one last smile before flashing off, sending her hair flying around her. Shaking her head fondly, Caitlin set about getting ready for the day herself.

XXX

An hour and a half later, Caitlin pulled up to the labs. She grabbed the box of bagels and the tray of coffees and balanced them in her arms as she walked into the cortex. Predictably, Cisco was there, tinkering away with his latest gadgets.

"Breakfast," Caitlin announced, and the engineer flashed her a grateful smile.

"Thank God, I'm ravenous," he said, clapping his hands together once. He picked up a bagel, then his coffee of preference before looking at Caitlin.

"And, how are we this morning?" Cisco asked, and Caitlin smirked at her best friend.

"We are fine," she replied, picking up her own coffee. She took a sip, letting the hot liquid warm her from head to toe. She still felt a chilliness inside her and she thought she always would, no matter how hard she tried to pretend otherwise. The absence of her doppelganger was growing more and more permanent with each passing day. As if sensing where her thoughts were leading her to, Cisco squeezed her shoulder gently, comfortingly.

"We'll get her back, Cait, I swear," he said, and she looked at him before nodding.

"I know," she replied quietly. Just then, a flash of electricity caused the papers on her desk to flutter around, announcing Barry's arrival.

"Hey, man." Cisco greeted the speedster. "Wondered when you were going to get here; you're usually here before Caitlin."

Cheeks tinting red, Caitlin looked at Barry beseechingly, hoping he'd come up with an excuse to cover them. Barry nodded.

"Yeah, had to stop at the precinct and talk to my Captain," Barry lied easily, and Caitlin let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. It was one thing to be tucked away in the safety of their bubble they had created but when people started asking questions, Caitlin started to get worried.

"Oh, yeah, he gave you your job back," Cisco replied excitedly. Barry grinned at him, before looking at Caitlin, who was looking at her boyfriend with a tender expression she hoped that passed as friendly, and not romantic.

"Yeah, he did. I couldn't be happier," Barry replied, accepting the fist bump Cisco was offering him.

"You two are goofs," Caitlin said warmly, shaking her head at their antics.

"Yeah, but we're your goofs," Cisco countered, and she laughed.

"Damn straight," she replied. Barry rolled his eyes, sending her a smile.

"What were you guys talking about before I arrived?" Barry asked curiously, and Caitlin hunched her shoulders inwards.

"Killer Frost."

Barry winced in sympathy. "We'll get her back, Cait."

She nodded her head as he squeezed her shoulder, much in the same manner that Cisco had done minutes before; however, it was a very different manner at the same time. Looking back and forth between them curiously, Cisco opened his mouth.

"I said the same thing," he commented, eyes zeroing in on the hand Barry had yet to remove from Caitlin's shoulder. Clearing his throat slightly, Barry dropped his hand and averted eye contact with Cisco.

"Yeah, well, as her best friends, it's kind of our jobs to help her," he muttered. Heart beating rather fast, Caitlin painted a smile on her face, hoping it looked natural.

"And, you guys will," she assured, determined to keep her voice steady. "Now that Devoe is gone, we can look at bringing her back."

The three of them eventually drifted away from each other as the day truly began, leaving Caitlin alone to her thoughts and coffee.

XXX

Around lunch, her first opportunity to be with Barry by herself presented itself. She found herself alone in the labs, going over some test results for the speedster.

"Hey, you," came his soft voice. She smiled softly as he wrapped his arms around her waist, kissing her neck.

"Our friends can walk in at any given moment, you know," she commented wisely, but he shrugged a shoulder.

"I like living on the edge," he murmured, and Caitlin laughed.

"Of course you do," she teased.

Barry hummed as he rested his chin on her shoulder. "What do you say to us taking a vacation?"

"I thought you said the city couldn't take a day off?" Caitlin questioned.

"There's still Wally and Cisco," Barry reminded her. "They can look after it for us."

"And what are our friends going to think about the two of us going on vacation at the same time?" Caitlin asked quizzically.

"Let them wonder," he commented, breath washing over her ear.

Caitlin thought about it.

"A vacation does sound nice," she sighed wistfully. He hummed again.

"Then, let's go, Dr. Snow," he murmured lowly into her ear. "You, me, and the beach."

Caitlin closed her eyes as she pictured the setting, getting lost as her mind painted a pretty picture.

"Sounds perfect," she murmured, turning around in his embrace. She kissed him, gently, letting herself got lost in the sensations of just them and being. Barry wrapped his fingers in her hair and kissed her deeper. It wasn't until the sound of applauding filled the room that they jumped apart. Caitlin caught sight of not only Cisco, but Joe, Iris, Wally, and Harry there, smirking at them. Blushing, she buried her face into Barry's shoulder.

"Oh god," she groaned. "Please tell me they're not actually there."

"If I did, it'd be a lie," Barry replied weakly. Caitlin stood with her head pressed against his shoulder for a solid minute before taking a deep breath and looking at her friends.

"We can explain," she started, but Cisco held his hand up.

"All you guys need to explain is when we can double date," he replied.

"You and Gypsy got back together?" Caitlin asked in surprise, and he scowled.

"Fine, I'll tell you when I get a girlfriend, then you can tell me when we can go on a double date," he amended.

"Or, a boyfriend," Caitlin added, and Cisco shrugged.

"Tomato tomato," he said dismissively, and she shook her head fondly, then looked at Iris. The woman was staring at the two of them, and Caitlin suddenly felt nervous.

"Iris, I -," she began, but the other woman grinned.

"Caitlin, it's okay. I expected this. The only thing I'm mad about is the fact that I owe my dad twenty bucks," she sighed, and Joe West grinned.

"You guys made a bet on us getting together?" Barry demanded incredulously, and Joe just laughed.

"Oh, no son. We knew you'd get together a long time ago. We made a bet that we'd catch you guys making out in the labs before the summer was even up. Hand over the money, Iris," he grinned, holding out his hand.

Iris just rolled her eyes.

Fin.

Author's note: Hope you enjoy. Changed the season finale a bit.


	95. Chapter 95

Author's note: Prompt about Caitlin having bedhead and Barry teasing her about it. Cute Snowbarry ensues. Also, I'll be on vacation all next week so will hopefully be getting to other stories. If you have any prompts for Oneshots or Abby and Me, leave them in the comments and I'll try to work on them throughout the week. Have a few more to get to for oneshots, and some for Abby and Me. Would love some more! Xx

Caitlin and Barry had been dating for the past half year and Caitlin could say she honestly couldn't remember a time when she was happier. Yes, she was happy when she was in love with Ronnie but being in love with Barry was a whole new realm of happiness, on a whole new planet. She didn't have any expectations she had to meet because he didn't place any on her shoulders. He also reminded her to take a moment and breathe. Quite frequently. He never rushed her to make decisions about their relationship, instead choosing to let her come to him on her terms. It was as it should be. Finally.

One Saturday morning found Caitlin waking up to the sound of gentle singing. She didn't have to open her eyes to know Barry was watching her. She snuggled further into the duvet, smile adorning her face.

"I could listen to you sing every day," Caitlin murmured sleepily, and Barry chuckled.

"And, I could watch you sleep every day," he replied.

"That's creepy, Barry," Caitlin laughed, opening her eyes at last. She immediately spotted his green hues staring into her brown ones and was at home. Barry traced her face with his eyes, expression gentle and caring. When he landed somewhere on her head, he split into a massive grin.

"What?" Caitlin asked, smiling in response. He chuckled.

"You've got some awesome bedhead, sweetheart," he replied. Caitlin's eyes went round as she felt the top of her head and groaned. She got ready to throw back the covers and rush into the bathroom to sort out the offense, but Barry pulled her tightly into his arms.

"No you don't," he murmured into her ear. "You're staying right here, with me. Besides, I've already seen it; damage has been done."

Caitlin could feel the vibrations of his chuckles through his chest, so did the only reasonable thing. She elbowed him directly in the ribs.

"Ouch!"

"Stop laughing at me, babe, or next time, it won't be so gentle," she warned, looking up at him and smirking. He rolled his eyes fondly, kissing the top of her head as he did so.

"I for one think your bedhead is adorable. A little messy and chaotic, but so are you. And I wouldn't change one thing about you or your bedhead," he grinned.

Caitlin quirked an eyebrow at him. "Did you just give me a backwards compliment?"

"Make what of it you will," Barry said solemnly, and she rolled her eyes.

"Goof," she murmured, closing her eyes. She nestled herself further into his arms, just enjoying the moment of time they found themselves in, away from the world. It was these moments that Caitlin lived for most. When they were tucked away from other people, in their own little safety bubble they created. No one could or would touch them. It was her and him, in suspended time.

As she drifted in and out of being asleep, she felt something that suspiciously felt like fingers, carding through her hair gently.

"Make my bedhead any worse, Allen, and you're going to be the one to fix it," she mumbled, eyes still firmly shut.

"And, what do you think I'm doing now?" Barry asked.

"Making it worse," she deadpanned.

"The horror," he teased, and she chuckled.

"As a matter of fact, I am fixing it, Snow. You think I want to be seen with you in public with that hair?" Barry asked, teasing tone still in place. She opened her eyes.

"But, you'd still love me?" Caitlin asked, smile toying at her lips. He rolled his eyes fondly.

"I suppose so," he sighed, eyes twinkling. Caitlin laughed.

"And, I suppose I could still love you, even if you're ruining my hair even more," she teased.

"Hey, I'm making it a masterpiece," Barry replied.

"Yeah, yeah, Picasso. Treat me with care," Caitlin murmured, getting read to drift back off. The last thing she heard before she slipped back to world of sleep was Barry's tender, "forever". Smiling slightly, she snuggled herself further into his arms, drifting off once more. Perhaps bedhead on a Saturday morning wasn't the worse thing that could happen to Caitlin Snow.

Fin.

Author's note: Just wanted to keep it short and sweet, especially with some of the more angsty ones I've had lately. Like I said, got a prompt? Drop a comment. I tend to try and write them all. If I don't, or have forgotten one, just kindly mention it to me and I'll try to get to it. Thanks. Xxx


	96. Chapter 96

Caitlin couldn't believe that they had achieved what she thought was impossible: they had stopped Devoe. He was gone for good, thanks to the team at Star Labs and his wife. She felt like some of the weight that had been on her shoulders had finally lifted, releasing some of the tension she had been feeling more and more each day. Was she tired? Certainly. Was it enough to not sit down and enjoy the homecoming of Joe and Cecil's baby? Absolutely not. She took another sip of her champagne, watching her family.

Barry was hugging Joe; Iris was hugging Cecile. That left Cisco, Ralph, and Caitlin, enjoying the festivities. Caitlin had already given Joe and Cecil her congratulations when she was helping deliver the baby at Star Labs. She was quite proud of herself. Proud that she was able to push aside her newfound memory and the fear that came with it and help Cecil in her time of need. She had held it together, and for that, she was eternally thankful.

Taking another sip of her champagne, she watched as Barry made his way towards her, wrapping his arm around her waist.

"Hey, you," he murmured, nuzzling her neck. She smiled softly.

"Hey, yourself," she greeted back. The one thing that she had learned this year was to not question the direction her life was taking. At the start of it, it seemed like Barry and Iris would've been the ones who were intertwined together but, alas, it was Caitlin and Barry. She wasn't sure how they had gotten to this point; wasn't sure if she even wanted to know. She was just happy to be here; content to be in his grasp.

"Have I told you how proud I am of you lately?" Barry asked quietly, and Caitlin smiled.

"Maybe once or twice but it's definitely nice to hear again," she said softly, chuckling. Barry chuckled, too.

"I'm so proud of you, sweetheart. You delivered their baby without one ounce of training," he said.

"Besides medical school," she interjected, and he shook his head fondly.

"That so doesn't count. Besides, wasn't that like, twenty years ago?" Barry teased, and Caitlin swatted him on his arm.

"Oh hush. I'm not that old," she muttered, and he kissed her temple. Caitlin rolled her eyes, but snuggled further into his arm, a quite different reaction to the peeved woman she was trying to come across as. She looked around, surveying her family. A single realization struck her. This was her family. Not some people from a long-ago memory; not Ronnie. These people. The ones she was surrounded by now. The amount of love and adoration she felt for these people ran through her, leaving her light-headed with giddiness. Barry seemed to pick up on her happiness because he brushed his lips against her ear, murmuring an, "I love you", gently. The doorbell rang just as she was about to send her own declaration of love back.

Caitlin looked around the room, noting everyone was there, before turning to watch Barry go open the door. The same young teenager she had seen at the coffee shop was standing in front of her. She looked vaguely familiar but couldn't place when and where she had seen her, besides the coffee shop. As she complimented Joe on his home, Caitlin studied her eyes; they looked like hers'.

"You're the girl from the coffee shop," Caitlin commented, staring at her. Cisco bobbed his head.

"Yeah, and the one from the almost-wedding," he added.

"Yeah, you were there. Who are you?" Barry asked. Instead of answering, the girl looked at Caitlin.

"Nice jacket. I have the same one," she commented, but Caitlin shook her head.

"You can't, it's a one of a kind," she replied.

"I know. You gave it to me," the girl smiled sheepishly, and Caitlin stared at her.

"Uh, no, I haven't seen you before the coffee shop, and I didn't have it then," she reiterated, but the girl continued to smile.

"Don't you want to know why we look alike?" She asked. Caitlin stared at her, again looking to her eyes.

Joe spoke up then. "What's your name?"

"Nora Allen. Barry and Caitlin Allen's daughter."

XXX

The shock of finding out she had a daughter was bad enough. The shock that she found out she had a daughter who could time travel and messed up the timeline equalized that shock and then some.

"So…so…your name is Nora Allen and you're my daughter?" Caitlin asked, bemused.

"I know it's a lot to take in, mom," Nora whispered, squeezing her hand gently. Caitlin just stared at her, trying to wrap her mind around the fact that her and Barry had a daughter together. It was something she had been thinking about more and more lately, but she hadn't dreamt of this happening.

"I don't know what to say," Caitlin commented dazedly.

"To be fair, Cait, I don't think any of us know what to say," Cisco piped up. "We always thought it'd be you two having the babies." He pointed a finger between Iris and Barry. Caitlin rolled her eyes while Iris shook her head exasperatedly.

"Please, I'm not going to be the idiot who forces her way between Caitlin and Barry. I may not be a scientist, but I'm not that dumb," Iris scoffed. She looked at Caitlin and sent her a reassuring smile, something that greatly eased the tenacious grip around her heart. She still felt the guilt for being the other woman that Barry fell in love with, even if Iris swore she understood.

"What are you doing here, Nora?" Barry asked, and Caitlin couldn't help but notice the concern in his voice; it mirrored her own.

Nora's eyebrows pinched together. "I messed up. Big time."

Barry nodded. "We get that. Do your parents…well, us, know where you would've gone?"

Nora shook her head. "No. I didn't dare tell mom I was messing around with the time line. Not after she called you an idiot for messing it up so many times before."

"Hey!" Barry admonished Caitlin, but she just shook her head amusedly.

"Idiot," she muttered, before bumping her shoulder with his. She then looked back at her daughter.

"Nora, we have to get you home," she murmured. "I'm sure your parents- we are worried," she rephrased, still finding it mind boggling that she had a daughter.

Nora shrugged. "I'm here until I can find a way back."

Caitlin looked at Barry, who nodded.

"Then, we'll find you a way back," he said firmly, squeezing her on the shoulder.

Caitlin didn't know how she knew, she just did, but she knew this was the start of a very interesting road she was about to go down, boyfriend (future husband), and daughter, frequenting it with her.

Author's note: Prompts accepted in the comments. I might write more of Nora being Snowbarry's daughter. Of course, when we find out more in season five, I'll definitely write it then. Enjoy Xxx  
P.S. Sorry I hadn't updated these. I'm still writing on here. Prompts, if any, will be accepted in the comments. Xxx


	97. Chapter 97

"C'mon Caitlin, just consider going on the date," Hartley implored, and Caitlin sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose.

"Hartley," Caitlin exhaled slowly. "How many blind dates have you tried to set me up on? And, out of all those blind dates, how many actually turned out being good?"

Hartley shrugged dismissively. "You'll like this one, I swear."

"Doubtful," Caitlin muttered underneath her breath.

"Heard that," Hartley replied, and Caitlin chuckled.

"What's his name?" Caitlin asked. There was usually no point with arguing with her best friend when he wanted to set her up on a blind date. Ever since she and Tony Woodward had broken up, he had been trying his hardest to set her up with the right guy. It wasn't that Tony wasn't a good guy, it was just that him and Caitlin weren't compatible. They didn't have anything in common. That didn't stop them from trying to make it work for the better part of four months. Caitlin wasn't sure who yelled louder in that relationship: her or him.

"Barry Allen," Hartley grinned, and she sighed, thinking things through. She eventually looked back at her best friend.

"Alright," she said. "I'll agree to go on this date but there are stipulations."

Hartley nodded his head. "Alright, I can handle that."

"I get to choose where the date is, and you must be by your phone at all times, in case I need to text you and tell you to come up with an excuse to get me out of there," she explained. Hartley nodded.

"That's fair," he agreed. Caitlin stared at him for a long moment before nodding her head.

"Alright, tell me when and where the date is," she sighed, and Hartley grinned.

"Tonight, that café right next to Jitters," he remarked.

"Tonight?" Caitlin quirked an eyebrow. "Telling me a little late, don't you think?"

Hartley shrugged nonchalantly. "Figured it'd give you less chance to back out."

Caitlin rolled her eyes. "You're lucky I love you and am willing to do this for you."

Just then her phone went off with a text. Looking down, she read it quickly before sighing.

"Date is a no go tonight, unfortunately," she muttered, replying to the text.

"Why?" Hartley demanded, frowning.

"That was Jenny. I'm needed at the hospital," she replied. It was his turn to sigh.

"I hadn't factored in the hospital calling you," he groaned, and she smiled apologetically.

"Tell Barry I'll have to take a raincheck," she murmured, before heading to her room to get ready.

"I'll hold you to that," Hartley called, his voice carrying through their apartment. She rolled her eyes slightly, before getting ready for what would undoubtedly be a long shift.

XXX

Caitlin got home somewhere around three the next morning. She was exhausted, incredibly so, and was thinking longingly of a hot shower, tea, and her bed. When she let herself into the apartment quietly, she wasn't expecting to hear a voice.

"How was your shift?" Hartley asked quietly but, for how she wasn't expecting to hear his voice at all, he could've been shouting.

"God, Hartley, don't do that," she hissed, clutching her chest and trying to calm her erratically beating heart. Hartley grinned apologetically.

"Oops," he murmured, walking towards her. After her heart rate had climbed back down, she looked at him before shrugging a shoulder.

"The shift was long," she commented tiredly. "But, nothing I can't handle."

"You're not the best doctor Central City's seen in the past ten years for nothing," he smirked, and Caitlin chuckled.

"Damn straight," she replied.

Hartley handed her a cup of tea, and Caitlin frowned.

"I feel like you're buttering me up for something," she commented, and Hartley grinned.

"What possibly for?" Hartley asked innocently, and Caitlin narrowed her eyes.

"I don't know. You tell me," she replied suspiciously, and Hartley grinned like the cat who ate the canary.

"You have a date tomorrow night," he said smugly, and she sighed.

"Oh, Hartley," she mumbled. "I was thinking about just taking it easy tomorrow."

"No can do, beautiful best friend of mine," he replied. "I know for a fact you don't have to be back at the hospital until the day after tomorrow. Also, Barry's off from the precinct he works at, so it's a win."

Caitlin thought about it, before admitting defeat. "Alright, I'll go. However, the same stipulations from earlier still apply."

Hartley nodded. "Deal. Now go get some sleep."

Caitlin nodded tiredly, squeezing him on the shoulder as she passed him. Her shower and bed were calling her name.

XXX

The next day, a few hours before Caitlin had to start getting ready, Hartley knocked on her door.

"Come in," she called, and he popped his head around the door.

"Hey, you," he grinned, but Caitlin recognized that tone.

"What's wrong?" Caitlin asked. Hartley sighed before walking into her room completely.

"I just got a text from Barry. He can't make it tonight because of Iris," he mumbled.

"Who's Iris?" Caitlin asked in confusion.

"His best friend. Her and her husband's, Eddie, son fell off his bike and broke his arm. Iris needed Barry to come watch their daughter while she and Eddie took their son to his doctor," Hartley explained. Caitlin nodded.

"I understand that completely," she replied immediately, and she did. These things couldn't be helped.

"I really wanted you guys to meet tonight," Hartley sighed, sitting down on her bed. Caitlin curled her legs underneath her, laughing gently.

"Hartley, these things happen," she reminded him, and he nodded.

"I know," he muttered. Caitlin patted him on the shoulder sympathetically.

"Maybe it's just not meant to work out," she commented wisely, but Hartley was frowning.

"Don't say that," he said firmly, and Caitlin looked at him.

"You haven't been on a date since you and Tony broke up. You need to get back out there," he said with conviction. "You're too much of a catch to not have guys falling all over themselves, trying to talk to you."

Caitlin laughed. "Thanks."

"Just give me time to think on how I can get this to work," Hartley implored, and Caitlin sighed. When her best friend was determined to make something happen, he was usually too stubborn to hear reason. She thought about it, before looking at him.

"Alright," she acquiesced.

He patted her on the leg, before kissing her forehead.

"You need to get out of bed eventually," he stated, before standing up. "There's coffee in the kitchen."

Caitlin grinned.

XXX

The day before Caitlin was supposed to meet Barry, she got a phone call she never wanted to get. Listening to her mother intently, Caitlin clutched the phone tighter. When she hung up, she turned around, spotting Hartley walking into the living room.

"Who was that, Cait?" Hartley asked. When she didn't answer, he looked up at her, taking in her expression. "What happened?"

"My dad had a heart attack," she replied numbly.

Hartley hurried to her, placing his hand on her shoulder and rubbing it firmly. "Is he…"

"He's alive, thank God," she whispered, and Hartley sighed in relief. "I need to get home. See how I can help my family."

Hartley nodded.

"Go. I'll take care of everything here," he replied firmly.

"You're the best," Caitlin whispered, throat thick. After making a few calls, Caitlin packed a suitcase, bought a plane ticket, and was hurrying to the airport, unsure of when she'd be coming home.

XXX

After a long three weeks at home, Caitlin came back to Central City late one night. Knowing that she had hours before she had to be back at the hospital, she stopped at Jitters on her way. Standing in line, Caitlin focused on keeping her eyes open long enough to get her coffee and make it back home.

"You look like you're about to fall asleep standing up," a quiet voice said, and Caitlin turned to look over her shoulder. She spotted a guy with brown her and piercing green eyes looking at her. She smiled tiredly.

"It's been a long few weeks," she murmured, and he hummed. When it was her turn, she ordered her favorite coffee, along with a bagel, then went to wait for it down at the end of the counter. The guy placed his order and walked towards her.

"I didn't get your name," he commented, and Caitlin looked at him, debating.

"It's Caitlin," she finally admitted, and he looked at her in surprise.

"By any chance, is your last name Snow?" He asked curiously, and she stared at him.

"How'd you know?" Caitlin asked. He grinned.

"I'm Barry Allen," he replied. Caitlin looked at him, before laughing slightly.

"Of all the times I was able to meet you, it has to be when I'm too tired to have a conversation," she murmured. He nodded.

"Hartley told me about your father," he murmured. "How is he doing?"

"Better. Still has a long road of recovery ahead of him, but he's doing better. He's just mad he won't be able to eat steak as often as he used to."

"I'd be mad about that too," Barry replied, and Caitlin hummed.

Their coffees were delivered, and Caitlin accepted hers' gratefully, before taking an eager sip. Glancing at her watch, she sighed.

"As much as I'd love to stay and chat, I really should get home. I've got an early shift in the morning," she muttered apologetically.

"Oh, yeah, Hartley said you were a doctor," Barry replied, and she nodded.

"A doctor who's going to be in a lot of trouble if she over sleeps in the morning," she commented, and Barry laughed.

"Understandable. My captain hates when I'm late…which, is like all the time," he replied, cheeks tinting red. Caitlin smiled.

"So you understand that I must go. But, I'd actually like to try and meet you for that date some time," she murmured. He grinned.

"What's your number?" Barry asked, and she gave it to him. He texted something, and her phone went off with a notification.

"Now you have mine, Caitlin. I'll be seeing you," he said, before walking off. Caitlin stared at his retreating back for a moment, before someone cleared their throat, alerting her to the fact that she was in the way. She moved away from the counter, before leaving Jitters, too.

XXX

After what was, quite possibly, the most exhausting shift she had endured yet, Caitlin headed home for a quick nap and then shower. She had texted Barry intermittently throughout the day, mainly when she was on breaks and her lunch. They had decided to meet up for dinner at a local café. She was happy they were actually able to have their date and was determined to make sure it happened.

By the time Hartley got home from the high school he worked at, she had woken up from her nap and showered. He peered his head into her room.

"Why are you all dressed up?" Hartley asked, going to sit on her bed.

"In an interesting turn of events, I ran into Barry Allen and we've been texting. We're finally going on that date. You didn't tell me how cute he was," Caitlin replied, and Hartley grinned.

"He's not really my type," he laughed.

"No, the Chemistry teacher is, isn't he?" Caitlin quirked an eyebrow, noting the softness in friend's hues, and the blush across his cheeks.

"Shut up," he replied bashfully, and Caitlin chuckled gently, before glancing at her watch.

"As much as I'd love to stay and tease you a bit more," she said. "I really should get going before I'm late."

Hartley nodded, clapping his hands together once. "I'll wait up for you to hear about it and fully expect a congratulatory drink this weekend when you realize I was right in setting you two up."

Caitlin rolled her eyes fondly. "Whatever you say, dear."

XXX

The café was quiet this time of night, empty except for the sparse patron. Barry and Caitlin were tucked away into a quiet booth in the corner, away from prying eyes. Taking a sip of her tea, Caitlin looked at him.

"How's your friend's, Iris I believe, son?" Caitlin asked, hoping she was getting the name right. Barry smiled.

"It is Iris," he assured, and Caitlin sighed in relief. "And, he's good. Doing a lot better now."

Caitlin grinned. "Good."

"How about your parents? Are they doing alright? Considering." Barry asked, and she nodded.

"They're doing fine. My dad is a lot better at accepting help now that the reality of what happened has set in," she replied, thinking of her father.

They stayed in the café, talking, until it closed. Caitlin found out that it was easy talking to Barry, something she hadn't really found with anyone except in her friendship with Hartley. After the café closed, the duo decided to walk over to a park and continue talking there. After sitting down on a bench, they picked their conversation back up.

"How long have you and Iris been friends?" Caitlin asked curiously, and Barry smiled.

"Since we were kids," he replied. "Our dads are best friends."

"And, she's married to Eddie?" Caitlin asked, and Barry laughed.

"Yes, she's been in love with him since high school," he said.

"It's good to find a love like that," Caitlin commented. "Not everyone is as lucky as them."

Barry hummed. "Exactly."

They fell silent then, and Caitlin looked up at sky, noticing the stars littering it. She smiled slightly. This was her favorite time of night. When people were asleep, and she was tucked away in the safety of the bubble she created. Barry's voice broke through her thoughts gently.

"How long have you and Hartley been friends?" Barry asked, and Caitlin grinned.

"Since high school," she murmured.

"And, have you two ever dated?" Barry asked, and she laughed.

"I'm really not his type," she commented fondly. "He's in love with a Mr. Ramon."

Barry rubbed the back of his neck. "I thought that he might like men but didn't want to ask, especially if he hadn't come out yet."

"Trust me, he has no problem about stating his sexuality. Its one of the many wonderful things about him. His acceptance of himself," she murmured. Barry grinned.

"It's good to have that acceptance," he agreed.

They continued talking until sunrise. It felt natural, like it was supposed to be this way all along. Caitlin looked at Barry, who had hesitantly wrapped his fingers around hers'.

"What do you say about exploring whatever it is that's between us further?" Barry asked softly.

Caitlin hummed.

"I say I'd like that very much," she replied quietly, feeling happiness cover her like a warm blanket. She hadn't had any happiness in her life as of late. Not since her father had gotten sick. Barry grinned.

"I'd agree," he murmured. They didn't stay out much longer after the sun had risen, both tired from the night before. But, they did agree to meet again the following night, and repeat the whole thing again. And that was what left Caitlin happy the most. And, Hartley was right. She owed him a congratulatory drink.

Fin.


	98. Chapter 98

Author's note: Prompt about Barry and Caitlin meeting at a college party their friends dragged them to. Enjoy. Xxx

Caitlin sighed as she took a long drag of her cigarette, holding in the smoke in her lungs for a few moments before tilting her head to the side and exhaling the smoke in a cloud. She, for the life of her, couldn't figure out why she was at the stupid party to begin with. It was something her roommate, Felicity, had insisted she come to. Caitlin wasn't a social person, much preferring to be at a quiet coffee shop, sipping coffee all day long while reading (or, writing), poetry. Then, if she wasn't doing that, she was meeting up with a woman she interned for. She was a photographer who was fairly well known, and Caitlin had lucked out to be able to intern for her during her second semester at school.

Caitlin took another drag of her cigarette, thinking over the night. She had opted to stay sober for the night, knowing Felicity would need a ride back to their apartment. Felicity. What an interesting person. Caitlin and Felicity were polar opposites, which, was perhaps why they worked so well as friends and roommates. Where Caitlin was quiet and reserved, Felicity was outgoing and personable; she made friends wherever she went. Caitlin didn't envy her friend for that, though. After all, Felicity was the one who came up to Caitlin, demanding that they be friends at freshman orientation

Just then, the woman in thought stepped out onto the balcony with someone in tow. She was giggling and Caitlin knew she was a little more than tipsy. Sighing, Caitlin ashed her cigarette before looking at her friend.

"You alright, Liciity?" Caitlin asked, and Felicity bobbed her head, blonde ponytail flying around.

"Oh, mhm!" Felicity laughed, and Caitlin was tempted to take the red, plastic cup out of her friend's grip. Instead, she took another drag of her cigarette, something Felicity picked up on. Nose scrunching, Felicity waggled her finger at Caitlin.

"You're smoking, missy," Felicity accused.

"I'm also drinking, missy. You know those two go hand in hand for me," Caitlin replied.

"Yeah, drinking diet coke," Felicity huffed out but Caitlin shrugged a nonchalant shoulder. Caitlin then took notice of the guy who had come out onto the balcony with Felicity. Following her friend's gaze, Felicity clapped her hands together excitedly.

"Oh, Caitlin! This is my good friend Barry Allen!" Felicity squealed. Caitlin quirked an eyebrow at him, noting that this was the first time she was meeting a "good friend" of her roommate's. Shrugging his shoulder, Barry rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly.

"We met five minutes ago and she declared me as her best friend," he chuckled.

"Thanks very much, Licity," Caitlin deadpanned.

"You're welcome," the blonde replied, eyebrows knitted together in confusion, like she didn't know what she was being thanked for. She glanced back and forth between Barry and Caitlin, clapping her hands together again.

"I've got to go find Oliver. You two kids have fun," she grinned, turning on her heel and striding away from them. She paused when she was a couple of inches away from the door, hand hovering over the knob. Looking back over her shoulder, she smirked.

"But, not too much fun," she added. Then, she was gone, back inside the apartment the party was at, and Caitlin was left with Barry standing next to her.

Caitlin glanced at Barry briefly before going back to her cigarette and diet coke.

"You smoke cigarettes a lot?" Barry asked, and Caitlin blinked, looking up at him in surprise.

"Uh, no, not really. Only when forced to go to social gatherings. Helps suppress the nerves," she muttered, ashing again. Barry chuckled.

"I don't like being thrusted into social gatherings, either," he admitted.

"Hmm," Caitlin hummed disinterestedly. She didn't particularly fancy a conversation with a complete stranger at a quarter to midnight. No, what she really wanted was a nice, long hot shower, a cup of tea, and her book. Barry fell silent then and she was appreciative. It gave her ample opportunities to think of all the ways she was going to get even with her roommate for making her come to this stupid party in the first place.

"What's your major?" Barry asked, pulling Caitlin out of her thoughts.

"What?" Caitlin asked, not quite sure what the original question posed was.

"Your major? What is it?" Barry repeated, and she took a sip of her diet coke before stubbing out her cigarette. She wasn't in any rush to light another one, so she leaned back against the brick wall of the balcony, facing opposite of Barry who was watching her.

"Political Science, with a minor in languages," she said, and Barry whistled lowly.

"Beauty and brains?" Barry ask and Caitlin quirked an eyebrow at him.

"Does that line actually work on other girls who you try to pick up?" Caitlin asked, smirk toying at her lips.

Barry winced. "To be honest, chatting with women isn't really my forte. My best friend, who's a girl, tries to give me pointers but I'm a lost cause."

"If a guy and girl are best friends, don't they usually end up together?" Caitlin asked, and Barry shrugged.

"Life isn't like the movies, Caitlin," Barry laughed. Caitlin's lips turned upward.

"Thank God. Life would be boring if that were the case," she commented.

They fell silent again, and Caitlin looked out into the night. From this particular balcony, Caitlin could see part of the campus. It was stunning at night. Turning back to Barry, she repeated his question to him.

"What about you, Barry Allen? What's your major?" Caitlin asked.

"Criminology," he replied, and she looked at him in surprise.

"Criminology?" Caitlin asked, and he nodded once.

"Like, a detective or something?" Caitlin asked, curious about his major. She hadn't met anyone outside of her close-knit group of friends that majored in things other than languages and Political Science. Barry shook his head.

"No, I'm actually studying to become a forensic scientist. My dad was one," he replied.

"Was?" Caitlin asked, feeling somewhat out of place for digging into his business.

"He died when I was fifteen," Barry said quietly, and Caitlin nodded, not quite sure what to say to that. Sure, she knew what it was like to lose someone you loved, but to hear another person talk about it was unfamiliar territory.

"I'm sorry," she murmured, and she was.

"Not exactly party conversation, huh?" Barry asked, and Caitlin laughed. He peered into her now empty diet coke cup.

"Can I get you a refill, Caitlin?" Barry asked. She had been about to light another cigarette and count down the minutes until she could go home, but, instead found herself nodding.

"That sounds great," she replied. The walked back into the apartment, where music was blaring and headed to the kitchen.

Caitlin leaned against the kitchen cabinet as Barry got another diet cook out of the cooler.

"How'd you end up here?" Caitlin asked curiously. "Parties don't really seem like your thing."

Barry laughed. "That would be a correct statement. Iris dragged me here so I could play bodyguard for the latest guy she's interested in."

"And, how's that working out for you?" Caitlin asked, accepting the cup of soda Barry pressed into her hands.

"Well, she went off with him somewhere about an hour ago and I haven't heard from her since," he replied.

"Your Iris sounds like my Felicity," she hummed.

"Felicity?" Barry asked in confusion.

"Your new best friend," she reminded him and he laughed.

"Ah, yes. Or, Oliver Queen's girlfriend," he replied. Caitlin nodded. While she hadn't been enthusiastic about the pair at first, Oliver had proved himself to be a good guy and she fully supported them. Plus, the way he doted on Felicity was rather adorable. Not that she'd ever admit that.

She took a sip of her soda.

"Tell me another fact about yourself," Barry encouraged, and Caitlin looked at him, thinking about his question.

"I intern for Lacey Chamberlain," she said.

"The photographer?" Barry asked in surprise.

"That's the one," she acknowledged.

"But, you're not majoring or minoring in anything that has to do with photography," Barry commented, and Caitlin shrugged. It was the general response she got.

"You can thank my mom for that," she muttered. Cisco had been the one to push her to do something to enjoy for herself, not her mother. That's why she had gone after the internship in the first place.

"Controlling parents?" Barry asked, and Caitlin took another sip of her soda.

"You could say that," she shrugged.

Perhaps he could sense the fact that she didn't want to talk about her family, because he changed the topic.

"Favorite book?"

"The Bell Jar."

"Ah, Sylvia Plath is a good one," he agreed, and she nodded.

"Favorite movie?" Barry asked.

"Dead Poets Society," she replied instantaneously. He looked at her.

"You've seen that?" Barry asked.

"Too many times," she murmured. It had been her father's favorite movie.

"What's your favorite hobby?" Barry quizzed.

"Drawing or photography," she said, lips tugging upwards.

"Favorite flower?"

She laughed. "Is this twenty questions?"

He shrugged. "You're roughly the only sober person I've come across at this party and you seem interesting. I'm curious about you."

She accepted that answer for what it was worth. "Pink daisies."

"Do you like to work out?"

"Does sunrise yoga count?" Caitlin asked.

"You do sunrise yoga?" Barry asked incredulously.

"Yeah, it's nice to be able to get calm before the day starts," she replied. Barry thought that through, before nodding.

"Makes sense that way. Favorite season?"

"Fall," Caitlin murmured, cheeks hurting from smiling so much.

"With fall comes Halloween, so what was your favorite costume?" Barry asked, mirroring her smile.

"I was a ballerina from the Nutcracker when I was five," she replied, thinking fondly of the outfit her mom had sewn for her. Barry continued to ask her questions, and Caitlin continued to answer. By the time Felicity bounced back into the kitchen, she was laughing.

"Bye, Ollie!" Felicity shouted, and Caitlin winced.

"Caity, hi!" Felicity grinned, throwing her arms around her in a hug; Caitlin supported her. She looked at Barry.

"It was nice meeting you Barry, but it looks like I need to get her home," she commented quietly. Barry bit his lip.

"Give me your phone," he said, hand outstretched. Caitlin looked at him in surprise, before handing it over and he typed something in it.

"There. Now you have my number. Feel free to call me," he grinned. Her grin matched his and she guided Felicity out of the apartment and towards her car, sighing happily. Perhaps a college party wasn't a horrible thing to go to. She made a mental note to thank Felicity in the morning. And, to give her Tylenol.

Fin.

Author's note: Prompts accepted in the comments. Have some to get to. Bare-with me! Enjoy! Xxx


	99. Chapter 99

Author's note: Prompt request about Barry and Caitlin being married a handful of years but constantly fighting.

"God, Barry, stop. Just stop talking!" Caitlin shouted, feeling her face screw up in anger. She could feel her heart beating a tattoo against her ribcage and knew that she was on the verge of a full-on meltdown if she didn't get herself calm. However, her husband of four years was not helping her case. He looked as, if not more, annoyed than her.

"Caitlin." Barry enunciated the syllables in her name and it grated on Caitlin's last nerve.

"Yes?" Caitlin asked in a voice of forced calmness. Her hands were tingling and she so wanted to break something.

"I told you yesterday, the bills got paid," he matched her tone of calmness. She folded her arms across her chest, narrowing her eyes.

"Then, do tell, why did we get another late notice?" Caitlin asked through clenched teeth. Barry rolled his eyes.

"I told you, I'm going over there to sort it out tomorrow," he muttered. Caitlin stared at him for a long moment, and he sighed.

"Dinner?" Barry asked, but she shook her head.

"I'm not hungry," she mumbled before walking away from him, heart aching.

XXX

A few days after Barry sorted out the late fee fiasco, he and Caitlin were sitting down to dinner.

"Don't forget, my mom is coming into town this weekend," Caitlin said, and Barry looked up with a guilty expression that told her all too well he had indeed forgotten.

"T-This weekend?" Barry stammered, and Caitlin pinched the bridge of her nose.

"What?" Caitlin asked tiredly.

"I-uh, promised Cisco I'd go to that science convention with him," Barry mumbled.

"Yeah, and if you remember correctly: he came and asked you only after I told him I couldn't go cause my mother was going to be in town," Caitlin sighed. Caitlin watched as Barry swallowed nervously.

"It's cool, I can cancel," he muttered, but she shook her head, feeling backed into a corner. If he had to cancel, not only would he and Cisco be disappointed, but he'd probably be in a sad mood for a couple of days. Not wishing to be the reason for his sadness, she painted a smile on her lips.

"It's fine. You go. I'll take my mom out and we'll just have a girls day," she murmured, and relief broke across her husband's face.

"You sure?" Barry checked, and she nodded, swallowing down her disappointment. Half the reason she wanted him there was because he was good at diffusing any tension between the two women.

"Ah, you're the best. I'll make it up to you," he promised.

Caitlin wasn't about to hold her breath.

XXX

The day with her mom had to definitely be in one of the top five worsts. From berating her on her job, to ridiculing her opinions, Caitlin was tired. The whole ordeal would have been a lot better to deal with if her husband had been there but no, he was enjoying himself at a convention she was originally supposed to go to. Sighing, she let herself into their home and headed straight for the kitchen where she poured herself a glass of wine, before heading down the hall to their bathroom where she intended to soak in the tub until she was nothing more than a prune.

XXX

Halfway through her soak, she heard their front door open.

"Cait? I'm home," Barry called and she stood up, getting out of the tub. After drying off and dressing, she met her husband in the kitchen where he was setting down pizza boxes.

"Figured you deserved a treat after a day with your mom," Barry murmured. "How did it go?"

"It went," Caitlin replied stiffly. She was so infuriated with him lately that she couldn't find it in her to be patient with him.

"And, I had a late lunch. So, see if Cisco or Iris can come over and keep you company," she added.

"Cait-," Barry began, but she held a hand up.

"You had one job, Barry. One! To spend the day with my mother, who adores you, and keep her pleased so I can breathe a bit easier. But, you completely forgot, per usual, and made your own plans," she said.

"I said I'd make it up to you," Barry began, tone laced with confusion.

"This isn't about making it up to me, Barry!" Caitlin stamped her foot. "This is about you doing what you say you're going to do. This is about all the fighting we've been doing lately. I don't know which way is up and which way is down, but I'm sick of fighting with you. I'm exhausted."

"I know," Barry said quietly, shoulders dropped. Caitlin hunched hers inwards.

"You're taking the couch tonight," she said quietly, before walking around him and into their bedroom, shutting the door softly behind her.

XXX

She didn't get the sleep she was hoping to attain that night. She missed her husband and his cold feet pressed up against hers'. She missed snuggling into his body as he held her throughout the night. Sighing, she threw back the covers and got out of bed, pulling her robe on. As she opened the door, she caught sight of Barry with his hand hovering above the knob, surprise etched into his features.

"I'm sorry," Barry murmured, and Caitlin nodded.

"Me too," she said quietly. Barry held his arms open and she walked into them.

"Please come get in bed," Caitlin implored. Barry nodded before guiding her back to their bed. After she had slipped out of her robe once more, she crawled into bed, and patted the space next to her.

Barry laid down next to her, propping himself up on his elbow.

"Hi," he whispered, smiling slightly at her. That smile evaporated the last of her tension.

"Hi," she mouthed, smiling back.

"I love you. You know that, right?" Barry asked softly, and Caitlin nodded, tears hot and thick in her throat.

"I know," she murmured. Barry kissed her forehead gently.

"I'm taking you out tomorrow. To do whatever you want," Barry promised, and she pressed her face into his chest, inhaling his scent that brought her home.

"That sounds nice," she said, voice muffled by his shirt. She felt his lips graze her hairline and asked the question she was most desperate to have an answer to.

"Are we going to make it through this?" Caitlin whispered. She felt Barry nod.

"Yeah, baby, we are. I promise," he replied, rubbing a soothing hand up and down her arm. His gentle reassurance was all she needed to let herself finally relax and burrow inside of his chest.

"Sounds good," she murmured, eyes closing.

"I love you, my Cait," were the last words she heard before slipping into her first peaceful sleep in too long.

Author's note: Prompts accepted in the comments.


	100. Chapter 100

Caitlin looked over her shoulder for what felt like the millionth time in a ten-minute window. She knew that walking to her apartment this late at night was a foolish thing to do. Dangerously foolish. It had been a little less than a few days that Caitlin had last heard from her stalker. He had sent her a single red rose with a card and a picture of her walking into her apartment. To this day the picture still sent chills up her spine. No one on team Flash knew that she had a stalker; it wasn't their job to make sure she was safe. However, there was one person she could count on to have her back: Killer Frost.

The woman in thought brought a small but genuine smile to Caitlin's lips as she reached her complex. That was part of the reason she was somewhat alright with walking home by herself; if Killer Frost felt threatened, she'd make an appearance. Surely, a visit from her stalker would arouse fear, and Killer Frost would come a calling. Caitlin paused at the entrance of her complex, peering over her shoulder one last time. The night was quiet and calm. Caitlin knew how too easily that peace could shatter if X showed up. That was the other thing about her stalker: he always signed his letters as X.

Caitlin hurried into her building, heart beating in a frenzy. She made her way to her elevator and up to her floor. After letting herself into her apartment, she shut and locked the three locks she had had installed and glanced around warily. Nothing seemed out of place; nothing seemed like it didn't belong. Exhaling, Caitlin shrugged out of her sweater, hanging it up in her coat closet before heading down the hallway to her bathroom so she could get a warm shower she had been desperate to have since that afternoon.

XXX

After Caitlin got out of the shower and changed into pajama pants and a sweatshirt from her college, she wandered back into the kitchen, turning on the kettle before making her way to her tablet. She had emails she was backlogged on and knew she needed time to check them. As she scrolled her way through her emails, none of them seemed to be of utter most importance. In fact, a lot of them were just junk from spam sites. Along with deleting those, she took herself off the emailing lists she wasn't sure how she had gotten on in the first place. One email did catch her attention, however. She paused, staring at an email with the subject line saying X. Hesitating only a moment longer, Caitlin clicked on it.

Inside the email there were pictures. At least a dozen. All of them were of her. Her getting coffee at Jitters; her out with team Flash; and then, her, from that night specifically. Eyes zooming in on the outfit she had recently changed out of, Caitlin realized that X had been watching her as she was walking home. Staring horror-struck at the photos, Caitlin jumped so violently when the tea kettle whistled it was almost as if she had been scalded. She hurried to take it off the stove.

After Caitlin had got the tea poured, she sat back down at her kitchen table, eyeing the email warily. As she brought the mug to her lips, she noticed her hands shaking and quickly set the drink back down. Inhaling shakily, she thought about her options. One: tell other members of the team and see if they can help. It wasn't an appealing option. Two: Handle it on her own or until Killer Frost surfaced. Better. Caitlin sighed in relief as she landed on her decision. She knew what she had to do.

XXX

The next few days proved tiresome. What started as emails soon turned into gifts left in her mailbox and Caitlin was feeling on edge more and more with each passing day. She currently found herself in Star Labs, going over some of Barry's results, when she felt a hand drop down on her shoulder. Pushing the urge to turn around and deck whoever was touching her, Caitlin swallowed, before looking around. Barry was looking at her.

"Hey," he said.

"Hey," she murmured. She wondered what he wanted.

"I was just curious to see if you had plans tonight? The team is going to Jitters for a late-night caffeine trip," Barry said, watching her. Caitlin sighed. As tempting as the offer was, she had more tests to run; more responsibilities to face. Smiling apologetically, she shook her head.

"I can't tonight. I've got too much to do as it is," she replied. Barry looked at her and she watched him study her expression.

"You look tired," he observed. Yeah, well. That's what happens when you don't sleep more than three hours a night. If you're lucky.

"Gee, Barry, thanks," Caitlin rolled her eyes, laughing a little.

Barry cheeks tinted pink. "I just meant that I think you should take some time to get some sleep if you're not going to go out with us."

Caitlin smiled. "I know. And, I will. As soon as these tests are ran."

After one final look at her, Barry nodded.

"Alright. Goodnight, then," he said.

"Goodnight, Barry."

XXX

An hour or so later, Caitlin heard the door to the labs open and assumed it was one of her friends, back for something they forgot. Not looking up for her tablet, she smiled when she heard footsteps.

"Forget something?" Caitlin called out to her friend.

"Yeah," came the reply, and Caitlin froze. That wasn't a voice she recognized. Turning around slowly, she came face to face with a man with a baseball cap pulled low over his eyes. Heart in her throat, Caitlin reached for the mace she had started carrying with her at all times but stopped when she noticed him pointing a gun directly at her.

"I wouldn't," he said quietly. Caitlin gulped before nodding.

"Alright," she said calmly. "Are you X?"

The man nodded.

Caitlin voiced the only question she could think of at that moment. "Why me?"

"You used to work for Dr. McGee at Mercury Labs," X stated, and Caitlin nodded.

"Yes," she whispered.

"We met there. Do you remember?" X whispered. In truth, Caitlin didn't. She knew better than to tell him that, though.

"Yes," she murmured.

A dark look passed over X's face.

"Really? That's funny, isn't it? Considering you never even said hello to me once," he hissed, and Caitlin felt fear coil itself tightly in her stomach. She simply didn't know what to do. X was next to her in a second, breathing against her ear.

"I waited all summer for you to notice me. You never did. Not once. But I noticed you. Oh, I noticed you," he whispered, and Caitlin felt proud that she wasn't trembling. In fact, she wasn't feeling anything but a fire dancing inside of her. She knew what was coming. X kept talking.

"Do you know what it's like to not be acknowledged for your efforts?" X asked.

"You mean the emails, the presents, and the photos?" Caitlin asked lowly. If she could keep him talking for a few more moments, Frost would appear. She was sure of it.

X nodded his head, caressing her cheek.

"Yes. Did you like them?" X asked softly. Caitlin felt ice running through her veins and shifted with pleasure.

"Why are hurting Caity?" Killer Frost hissed, pushing X off her. He stumbled, caught himself, and stared at her in confusion.

"That's new," he muttered. Killer Frost snorted.

"The blonde hair or silver eyes, pumpkin?" Killer Frost asked. "Now, how do you know my doppelganger?"

"I'm the man who goes by 'X'," he said quietly, and Killer Frost traced the top of her lip with her tongue.

"Or, in other words, you're Caity's stalker," she said simply, eyes flashing. X didn't say anything but she didn't expect him to, either. She stared at him for a moment longer before smirking.

"This is going to be fun. I'm going to give you a twenty second head start," Killer Frost warned, raising her hands up and letting the mist swirl around them. She smiled in satisfaction as X's eyes grew round.

"Tick tock, X," she whispered. He was bolting from the room the next moment. In the past year, Killer Frost had tried to change her ways and achieve things the honorable way so she stuck true to her promise and gave X the allowed twenty second head start. When his time was up, she ran from the room, following the sound of his feet pounding against the concrete floor.

She caught up to him easily. He was at the door at the entrance.

"I don't think so," she said icily, before shooting out a stream of ice. X yelped and turned around, running past her.

"The chase is the greatest part, X," Frost called as she ran after him. "You should know."

Just then, Frost saw a flash of electricity outside and growled.

"Flash, if you don't let me have my fun I'm going to turn your suit into an icicle," she said as Barry slowed down next to her, in his suit.

"Why didn't Caitlin tell anyone she had a stalker?" Barry demanded, and Frost looked at him with her eyebrows raised.

"I knew. How'd you find out?" Frost asked. She hadn't forgotten that she needed to catch Caitlin's stalker but with Barry there, she figured she could spare a couple extra minutes.

"She seems so tired and like she hasn't been completely honest with the team so Cisco hacked her email," Barry admitted, and Frost glared at him.

"Cute."

"Not proud of it by any means, but I got the answers I was looking for. Is X here?" Barry asked lowly, and Frost nodded.

"He ran off to the center of the cortex. You apprehend him, I shoot an icicle into his leg," Killer Frost instructed.

"Unorthodox but I'll take it," Barry muttered. He flashed off then and Killer Frost ran at a normal speed. She heard a few shouts and then a thump and assumed one of them had fallen. When she entered the cortex, she spotted X on the ground with his wrists zip tied together. Barry was standing over him triumphantly.

Killer Frost walked up to him slowly, feeling a fury dance inside of her.

"Frost," Barry began.

"Shut up, Flash," Killer Frost hissed, eyes never leaving the stalker's face.

"We'll let the police handle this," Barry said firmly, but Frost was resolute.

"You have no idea what he put Caity through," she whispered, staring down at the man. "He threatened her. Took photos of her. Sent her gifts."

Barry nodded. "I know. I saw the emails. I assumed he had done other stuff by the emails and it doesn't surprise me that he sent her things. But we're not going to torture him."

"I'd like to see you stop me," Frost murmured. Barry placed a hand on her shoulder and she nearly ripped it off.

"Bring Caitlin back," he said quietly. Those simple words caused the fire to dim slowly inside of Frost before eventually burning out altogether. She looked at Barry for a long moment, debating, before looking at X. Finally, she sighed deeply and nodded.

"Alright," she muttered. She took the chance to kick X in the ribs and grinned briefly when he doubled over, before shooting Barry a grimace when he sighed in exasperation.

"Old habits, you know," she explained. Then, she was gone, with Caitlin standing back in her place. Caitlin blinked and looked around. She spotted X on the ground, glaring at her, and Barry to the side of him, smiling comfortingly.

"Flash?" Caitlin whispered, and he nodded.

"Hey, Cait," he said gently. Caitlin looked at X, then back at Flash.

"Well, you must've caught up to Frost If he doesn't have an icicle in his leg," she commented idly, and Barry chuckled.

"I barely just made it. Let me get him to Joe, who will book him, then I'll be back for you," he said, and Caitlin nodded, suddenly more exhausted than ever before. She felt her hair fly around her and was facing an empty cortex one minute and staring back at Barry in his normal clothes the next.

"How'd you find out about X?"

"How come you didn't tell me you had a stalker?"

Barry and Caitlin looked at each other, before chuckling.

"You first," Caitlin dipped her head towards him, and watched as Barry rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly.

"I, uh, may have had Cisco hack your emails," he muttered.

"What?" Caitlin folded her arms and leveled him with a glare.

"To be fair, you hadn't seemed like yourself in ages and I was worried. We all were," he replied, holding his hands up placatingly. Caitlin shook her head.

"Not an excuse to go through my private emails, Barry," she scolded him.

"I know. However, I stand by my decision. If I hadn't, you might not be here," he reminded her.

"Frost can handle her own," she replied and for that, it seemed like he had no argument.

They both fell silent as Caitlin wrapped her arms around herself.

"Why didn't you tell me, Caitlin?" Barry asked again, and she sighed.

"It's not your job to protect me, superhero," she replied. He stared at her for a long moment.

"What if I want to?" Barry whispered, and she met his eyes.

"What?" Caitlin whispered.

"I said, what if I want to?" Barry repeated. Caitlin stared at him for a long moment before slowly grinning.

"I'm not saying I'm in any shape ready to date, but maybe if we took it slowly, I could be," she murmured, and Barry squeezed her hand gently.

"We can take it as slowly as you want," he murmured, and that was good enough for Caitlin.

Fin.

Author's note: Prompt about Caitlin having a stalker which is why KF is protective of her. Barry too finds out. I didn't want to end up with them as a couple for this particular one shot, just to allude to the idea. Hope you enjoy and prompts accepted in the comments. XXX


	101. Chapter 101

Barry knew Caitlin wasn't sleeping, she was tossing and turning too much to be able to get proper sleep. What had her tossing and turning seemed to be fitful dreams. He was certain she was having nightmares by the way she would start shaking in her sleep, effectively waking him up. He needed to make sure she understood that she could talk to him about anything, no matter what, no matter the time. Barry leaned onto his elbow, content with watching her sleep for the moment. He knew it wouldn't be long before the nightmare came back and he wanted to be awake to help her.

It was around one in the morning that she grew restless, causing Barry to sit up. Her eyelids were fluttering and she was sweating. Barry spoke in a soothing tone.

"Cait, baby, wake up," he murmured. Her eyelids continued to flutter.

"Caitlin, wake up, sweetheart. It's not real. You're just dreaming," Barry soothed. Caitlin gasped, eyes springing open. She glanced around, and Barry pulled her into his chest.

"Shh, it's okay," he murmured. She nodded. Barry began humming, eventually singing a song, hoping to help soothe his fiancé's frayed nerves. "Just take a couple of breaths, alright?"

Caitlin nodded again and focused on her breathing. Barry steadied his own to help guide her; he found it often helped her the best. When she had improved, Barry guided them back to their pillows, wrapping his arms around her and locking his fingers together. They were silent for several minutes while Barry collected his thoughts. There was something deeply dark and sinister disturbing his fiancé if it caused nightmares every night. What that was, he didn't know. What he did know was he wasn't going to stay quiet for another minute.

"Sweetheart?" Barry asked softly. She pressed her face into his chest and he felt the wetness on her cheeks. Whether they were tears from the nightmare or not, Barry didn't know. He assumed so.

"What?" Caitlin asked quietly, voice barely a whisper.

"What're the nightmares about?" Barry matched her tone. Caitlin sighed.

"I don't want to talk about it," she murmured.

"'Please, Cait, you have to. Don't shut me out. I can see what they're doing to you, these nightmares. Please talk to me," he begged. Caitlin looked at him for a long moment and he untangled his hands and traced her cheekbone with the pad of his thumb, tracing every line littering her face. Eventually, she nodded.

"They're about Jay," she said lowly, voice hoarse. Barry tightened his arms around her. He had a suspicion Zoom might have something to do with the fact that his fiancé wasn't sleeping.

"About him how?" Barry asked quietly, tracing random patterns into Caitlin's skin, the way he knew she liked.

"About him killing Killer Frost, really. I mean, the cave is still there and I'm still his prisoner, but the nightmares are about Killer Frost dying," she murmured. "He had absolutely no mercy. And…"

"And what?" Barry prompted gently when she trailed off.

"And, I'm the one who broke her out of the glass prison she was in. She wouldn't have died had she still be in there," Caitlin muttered, looking down.

"You don't know that, Caitlin," Barry said firmly. "Zoom was a monster. He took with no regard to anyone but himself. This isn't your fault."

He watched as some light came back into his fiancé's eyes.

"Really?" Caitlin whispered, and suddenly Barry understood the guilt that she was feeling; understood the guilt that was weighing her down. He shouldered that same guilt whenever he carried the weight of the world on his shoulders and didn't meet expectations.

"Really," he reiterated. Caitlin looked up at him from where she was laying on his chest for a long moment, taking in his expression. She must've found what she sought out because she was smiling slightly a moment later.

"Thank you," she murmured, reaching up to join their lips together in a chaste kiss. Barry hummed happily.

"You're welcome," he murmured, kissing her brow. When she laid back down on his chest, he began carding his fingers through her hair. There was something he wanted to know and he didn't know how to ask. Treading into the topic lightly, he poised his question into a statement.

"You know, you never did talk to me about what happened in the cave. Not completely," he said quietly, and Caitlin looked at him, before shrugging.

"Not much to talk about. I was his prisoner," she mumbled, eyes downcast once more.

"Just this once, let's not have the evasiveness," Barry encouraged gently. He tilted Caitlin's chin back up to where they were looking at each other, and he held her with his gaze. He knew she felt vulnerable and raw; he was intentionally digging into old history. However, if it meant beginning the true healing process, then he'd unstitch however many sloppy wounds there were and stitch them back together with his love.

Staring at him, she nodded and began speaking. The beautiful thing about Caitlin that once she did let down her walls and bare her soul, she let you all the way in. No reservations. She told him how she felt in the moments leading up to Barry's potential death; how she couldn't fathom a world that did not include Barry Allen. She told him how she felt when she saw Jay's true identity, the monster behind the mask. She explained that she had gotten to know Killer Frost a little, learning about her family. She supposed she had been right in her assessment about Caitlin being gullible, his fiancé said, but she didn't think it made her weak.

"You're right. It makes you an incredibly rare and warm human being," Barry said and Caitlin snorted.

"Me? Warm?" Caitlin asked, and Barry laughed fondly.

"And," he continued. "I wouldn't call you gullible. You just like to see the good in everyone. And she showed you hers', however small it may have been."

"She had good in her. It just got blanketed by the bad. She was too far gone to see past evil, but I thought I might've been able to help her. If I could've gotten us back to our Earth," Caitlin muttered.

"This isn't your fault. You have got to stop carrying this guilt with you," he murmured lowly into her ear. She nodded.

"I can go the rest of my life never witnessing another death again," Caitlin sighed, and Barry hummed.

"Challenge accepted, Snow," he declared. She laughed a little.

"Goof," she murmured, snuggling deeper against his chest. They fell silent for several long minutes before Barry spoke up again.

"Think you can get some decent rest now?" Barry asked quietly, and it was Caitlin's turn to hum.

"I think so. Talking about it was a cathartic release, surprisingly. Thank you," she murmured. Barry kissed her once more, before pulling the covers over of them.

"Sleep now, Caitlin."

Author's note: A prompt I got about nightmares. I included that at the beginning but then carried on with what the nightmares were about. Hope you like it. Prompts accepted in the comments. Got some to get to. Xxx


	102. Chapter 102

Caitlin watched as Cisco ran some tests on Nora. She still couldn't believe she had a daughter from the future; she wasn't ever sure she'd be what people would consider "mother material". She watched as Cisco undid the cuff around her daughter's arm, nodding his head encouragingly at her.

"You're quite healthy," Cisco said, and Caitlin breathed a sigh of relief she hadn't realized she'd been holding. Nora smiled.

"You say the same thing to me in the future, Uncle Cisco. Like, all the time," Nora laughed, and Caitlin watched her daughter. She wasn't sure how to put what she was feeling into words. Was it relief? Relief at knowing her daughter was safe and sound, with her? Or was it fear? Fear at knowing her future self didn't know where Nora was? Sighing, she massaged her forehead, before making her way towards her daughter.

"Nora, honey, we have to get you home. You need to be with your parents," Caitlin said, and Nora frowned.

"I am with you guys."

Just then, someone cleared their throat and Caitlin looked up in time to meet her fiancé's eyes. They shared a look and Barry nodded as he made his way towards their daughter.

"You're with your parents from the past, Nora. Your current parents…us…must be worried sick at not knowing where you are. I know that I would be," Barry said, and Caitlin nodded firmly, squeezing her daughter's shoulder gently.

"Me too," she added. Caitlin watched as their daughter looked back and forth between her two parents with a furrowed brow.

"You guys don't want me here?" Nora asked carefully, and Caitlin felt her heart bleed. She shook her head quickly.

"No!" Caitlin exclaimed passionately. "Of course we want you here. I want you here. There's nothing more that I'd love to do than spend every day learning about you."

"Then, why can't I stay?" Nora asked.

"Because, Nora, you need to be back in your own time. As a speedster, you must know the repercussions that come with time travelling," Barry said softly. Nora cast her eyes down as she fiddled with her thumbs.

"I do," she said quietly.

"Then, you know why we must get you back to your time," Barry said gently, and Nora nodded, eyes still downcast.

"I know," she mumbled, and Caitlin sighed as she watched her daughter's shoulders hunch inwards. She hadn't expected an ache to be triggered inside her own heart at her daughter's disappointment. Biting her lip, she looked at Nora, then her fiancé.

"Maybe a few more days with us wouldn't hurt," she said softly, and Barry looked at her.

"Yeah?" Nora asked hopefully. Locking eyes with him, Barry and Caitlin communicated with one another for a couple of moments before Barry nodded and Caitlin turned back towards their daughter.

"Yes, but only for a few more days. And, during those days, your father and uncle are going to work on a way to get you back at home, alright?" Caitlin asked, and Nora smiled happily as she threw her arms around Caitlin.

"Thanks mom, you're the best," she whispered. Caitlin felt warm with pride and hugged her daughter back.

XXX

While Barry and Cisco worked on ways at figuring out how to get Nora back to her time, Caitlin took her daughter under her wing and showed her everything Central City had to offer in her time. Their first stop was Jitters. After ordering a latte each, Caitlin paid and led the way to a booth tucked into the corner. Sitting down, she took a sip of her coffee and looked at Nora.

"What's the future like?" Caitlin asked curiously. Nora smiled.

"It's pretty cool – you and dad are great," she replied. Caitlin bit her lip, hesitating.

"And, do I ever get Killer Frost back?" Caitlin asked softly. A pained expression crossed her daughter's face.

"I wish I would give you an answer to that question but from the time I was old enough to comprehend the meaning of time, you and dad always told me to not share information should I ever time travel. It makes it bad for the timeline," Nora murmured, and Caitlin smiled, pushing the lump that had risen in her throat back down.

"You're right, it does. It was a silly question," she said quietly. The mother and daughter fell silent then, drinking their coffees.

"You helped your father a lot with DeVoe, you know," Caitlin commented wisely, and Nora flashed her a grin.

"He wasn't going to stop him on his own," she laughed, and Caitlin mirrored it. "In all honesty, it felt great helping out dad again."

"Again?" Caitlin asked, eyebrows knitted together in confusion. Nora seemed to be choosing her words with care.

"He…worries endlessly over my safety back home," she muttered, and Caitlin sighed.

"He does that with anyone who is important to him. You're not going to be an exception, Nora," she murmured.

"Can't…can't he be protective from a distance? I mean, would it kill him to be nice to the at least some of the guys I casually date?" Nora asked, and Caitlin laughed. She doubted her fiancé would ever support anyone their daughter brought home.

"I'll talk to him," she assured her. "Now, tell me about these casual dates…"

The rest of their day was spent walking the streets of Central City and refilling on coffee as needed. Caitlin's heart was light; lighter than it had been in months. She knew that had to do with Nora. Sighing happily, she smiled at her daughter when she linked her arm through Caitlin's as they made their way back to Star Labs.

Once there, they headed into the Cortex, smiling all the while.

"There you guys are," Barry exclaimed, rushing over to them.

"What's wrong?" Caitlin asked calmly, recognizing the panic her fiancé got into when something was going amiss.

"Meta human alert," he said, rushing into his suit. By the time he got back, Nora was already in hers'.

"I'm going with you, dad," she said, and Barry looked at her, before Caitlin.

"Are you alright with this?" Barry asked. Caitlin looked at their daughter, who was staring at her beseechingly. She nodded.

"Yes. Just be safe," she said firmly. They were gone the next minute.

Caitlin and Cisco exchanged a look, and Caitlin wondered if her panic was painted across her face. He placed a hand on her shoulder and squeezed comfortingly.

"They'll be okay," he promised.

"I hope so," she whispered.

Now all that was left to do was wait for her family to return to her, safe and sound.

Author's note: Just a short one about Nora and Caitlin. Will probably write another. Prompts accepted in the comments. Xxx


	103. Chapter 103

Iris studied the way Barry interacted with Caitlin and smirked. The guy had it bad. The way his eyes would linger on her smile when she lowered her head; the way his expression would resemble gentleness. She knew he hadn't felt this way about anyone ever. Not even herself. Sure, they had tried the whole dating game, but they quickly found out they were better off as the friends they had always been. So, Iris had made it her mission to see how quickly she could get Caitlin and Barry together. Smirk still fully intact, she watched as Barry laughed at something Caitlin said, eyes never leaving hers'. Yeah, the guy definitely had it bad.

"Barry still smitten with our doctor here?" Cisco piped up and Iris nearly jumped out of her skin.

"Jeeze, Cisco, warn a person when you're going to creep up on them," she hissed.

"Where's the fun in that?" Cisco smirked, and Iris rolled her eyes before looking back at the pair in front of her. Iris was trying to figure out when and how she was going to work on getting Barry to work up the courage to ask Caitlin out when Cisco cleared his throat.

"It'd be wrong of us to interfere with whatever it is brewing between them, wouldn't I?" Cisco asked and Iris looked at him, eyebrow quirked.

"You thinking what I'm thinking?" Iris asked.

"That we need to get out best friends together?" Cisco asked mischievously, and Iris smirked.

"Yeah," she nodded her head.

"Well, I was thinking about that and pizza. I'm starving," Cisco replied, and Iris released a long-suffering sigh.

"When are you not?" Iris muttered, and Cisco just grinned before clapping his hands together enthusiastically.

"How about you and I go get pizza and discuss how to get our two brunette-haired friends to quit dancing around one another and actually date?" Cisco asked cheerfully, and Iris nodded.

"Let's go," she said.

XXX

"So," Iris began as their pizza pan was placed on their table top. "Caitlin. Has she ever expressed interest in Barry?"

Cisco kept his expression even as he grabbed a slice of pizza, Iris noted.

"Has Barry ever expressed interest in Caitlin?" Cisco challenged, and Iris stifled her laughter. Trust Cisco to not want to divulge more information than he deemed necessary without trying to figure out what Iris knew.

"Barry expresses interest without realizing he's even expressing interest, Cisco," Iris explained. She watched as Cisco chewed his pizza thoughtfully and took a bite of her own, waiting for his input. At long last, he nodded.

"Yeah, Caitlin's might've expressed some interest in him before," he mentioned casually, and Iris grinned. Cisco held up a hand, halting her enthusiasm.

"Don't get too ahead of yourself, Iris. While Caitlin has expressed interest to me about Barry, she's still the most guarded person I know. I doubt even Barry will be able to work his way through her tough exterior," Cisco warned. Iris brushed away his worries.

"Let me worry about that, Cisco," she dismissed, taking a sip of her drink. Cisco just munched on his pizza.

XXX

Iris spent the next few days working on Barry and his confidence. She would be there, encouraging him to get out and start dating again.

"Iris," Barry interrupted her one afternoon midsentence. "Have you ever thought that maybe I'm happy with my dating life?"

Iris snorted. "Why? It's nonexistent."

"And that's a bad thing?" Barry asked.

"Barry," Irish exhaled. "Do you really want to be single forever?"

It was Barry's turn to snort.

"Forever?" Barry asked skeptically. "You clearly have no faith in my ability to make small talk with the ladies."

"I'm sure "the ladies" would enjoy your small talk," Iris said. "However, I'm thinking about one lady in general."

"Oh, yeah?" Barry asked, looking at her. "Do I know her?"

Just then, Caitlin walked into the labs and Iris realized the timing couldn't have been more perfect. Clapping Barry's shoulder, she stood up from the chair she was sitting in.

"I've got to go, but why don't you keep Caitlin company?" Iris suggested, and Barry looked at her in amusement.

"Since when have you been concerned with who I keep company with?" Barry asked, and Iris rolled her eyes.

"Just talk to her, alright?" Iris asked, before walking away, muttering, "guys" as she went.

A quick glance over her shoulder told her that Barry had walked towards Caitlin and was engaging in conversation with her. Iris smiled to herself victoriously.

XXX

Iris spent the next afternoon keeping tabs on Barry and Caitlin. While they weren't moving at the pace she wanted them to, they were moving at a pace in general so she settled for that. She would often catch them talking in the labs or going over his results with their heads bent exceptionally close together. Each time she saw them she grinned, knowing her guidance in Barry's life was working.

It wasn't that she wanted to be a persistently pushy person in his life – it was just that she wanted him to be as happy as he possibly could, after everything that had happened in his life, and she felt like Caitlin could be one of the only people to bring out that genuine happiness.

As she was walking she wasn't paying attention to where she was going and bumped into someone. Catching herself and the other person, she looked up to find Cisco looking at her.

"Hey, just the woman I was looking for!" Cisco greeted her, apparently not overly concerned with their near collision. Iris quirked an eyebrow at him.

"What?" Iris asked curiously. Cisco glanced around the hallway, before pulling Iris down to the end of the hall.

"Uh, Cisco?" Iris asked, unsure as to what he wanted or what he was doing.

"Don't want to risk Barry and Caitlin overhearing us," he said. Iris simply looked at him, encouraging him to continue.

"I think Caitlin is in love with Barry," Cisco said seriously. Iris's stomach danced with butterflies at the thought of her best friend finding happiness but she kept her face calm.

"Okay, and that needs to be a big deal because…?" Iris prompted, hoping Cisco would fill in some of the blanks. Cisco blew out a breath of air, blowing some of his hair away from his face before he tucked it behind his ears impatiently.

"As much as I want to see my best friend happy, and believe me, I do, I have to keep in mind the fact that her last couple of boyfriends weren't the greatest. I mean, Jay and Julian?" Cisco asked.

Iris folded her arms as her eyes narrowed. "This is Barry we're talking about. Nothing like those two guys."

Cisco nodded. "I know. That's what I'm afraid of. What-What if Caitlin just expects bad relationships at this point?"

Iris sighed, choosing her words with care in the hopes of soothing the ache Cisco was feeling.

"Look, Cisco, Caitlin is a big girl. She doesn't make decisions lightly. Especially not since Jay. Julian, while good for her at the time, was more concerned about taking away what turned out to be one of the greatest things this team needed. Killer Frost. Julian wasn't meant for her long term. I think Barry could be that guy," she said.

"You do?" Cisco asked, and she nodded.

"Yes," she said firmly.

"Good, because so do I," came Barry's voice and Iris whirled around, hand going to her heart in surprise. There, smirking like the cat who ate the canary, was Barry. Caitlin wasn't too far behind him as she was leaning against the wall, arms crossed, with an entirely too pleased expression on her face.

"Barry, Caitlin!" Iris greeted, wondering just how much of that conversation they had heard. Barry walked towards them as Caitlin pushed herself off the wall.

"Cisco, I'm touched you're concerned," Caitlin began. "But Iris is right, I am a big girl who doesn't make light decisions. When I chose to get in relationship with Barry, I factored in all the outcomes. To this day it's one of the best decisions I've made."

Barry kissed her and Iris watched them in surprise. Sure, they had been spending more time together lately but she didn't think they'd be this comfortable with public displays of affection. She narrowed her eyes.

"And, uh, how long, exactly, has it been since you two got in in a relationship?" Iris queried, folding her arms across her chest. Caitlin grinned guiltily at Barry who just smirked at Iris.

"You know, for my best friend, you're not very astute when it comes to my love life. We've been together for six months," Barry said.

"And we're just finding out about it now?" Cisco asked while Iris gaped at Barry.

"Why'd you let me go on and on about your love life when you have no problem in that department?" Iris demanded. Barry laughed.

"Ever think I just like winding up my best friend from time to time?" Barry asked. Iris rolled her eyes.

"Thanks," she mumbled, feeling idiotic. Caitlin squeezed Cisco's shoulder, who was still just staring at the couple in shock.

"You guys were just funny with how much you were trying to get us to admit our feelings to one another, we couldn't help but play along," she said, turning her face to hide her smile.

"Cute, Barry," Iris said. He grinned again.

"We are sorry about not telling the team sooner. It was still so new to us, we just wanted to explore the relationship by ourselves for a little while," Barry explained. Iris looked at Barry and Caitlin, noting the way they were standing. At some point, she had shifted to where she was standing right next to him and had wrapped her arm loosely around his waist, while Barry's arm was around her shoulders. They both wore blinding grins.

"I guess I can forgive you," she said in exaggeration, acting like she had to think about it. Caitlin smiled.

"Thanks," she said.

Cisco, who had been unusually quiet finally clapped his hands together.

"So, Big Belly?" Cisco piped up.

The other three just shook their heads at their friend's antics, knowing they'd end up humoring him. They always did.

Fin.

Author's note: Prompt about Iris and Cisco trying to get Caitlin and Barry together only to find out they're already together. Hope you enjoy it. Prompts accepted in the comments.


	104. Chapter 104

Caitlin knew that she was walking a dangerous line. Leaving the night of Iris's party. She hadn't told anyone, not even her best friend, that she had ended up taking the serum Julian created. What she wasn't counting on for was it to make her ill. The serum in itself did its job: it took away her powers. It also, however, left her falling ill to a disease she had yet to find a cure for. She didn't want her friends to know, not when they were all attempting to be more civilized to one another after the previous year. So, in an attempt to not draw attention to herself, she went to the party for a little bit, had a couple of glasses of champagne, then made up an excuse as to why she needed to leave early.

Iris, who had had a fair amount more to drink than her, wrapped her arms around her friend, giggling.

"Caitlin, thank you so much for coming," she squealed, and Caitlin supported her up. She nodded, smiling slightly.

"Anytime, Iris. I wish you and Barry nothing but a life full of happiness," she murmured, throat catching. Perhaps Iris heard because she looked up at her.

"Are you alright?" Iris asked, and Caitlin nodded.

"Fine. Just really happy for two of my friends," she replied. Iris searched her face, seemingly satisfied with what she found because she was giggling again a moment later.

"I need more champagne," she announced, and Felicity was quick to supply the choice of beverage. Caitlin glanced at her watch, noting she had about two hours until her flight left. She really needed to get going.

"Guys, as fun as this night has been, I need to go," she said, and Iris nodded.

"Alright, Caitlin. See you tomorrow. Take something for the hangover," she encouraged, not quite picking up on the fact that Caitlin hadn't had near as much to drink as the other woman. She nodded anyways.

"I will," she replied. She hugged Iris, then Felicity, before grabbing her purse. With one final wave she was gone, into the night and towards her unpredictable future.

XXX

Three months later found Caitlin living in a flat in Europe. Her choice to move there was easy: her dad had said it had been his favorite place to visit. If she was going to be ill anywhere, she wanted it to be where her dad had some lasting happiness. Taking a glance in the mirror hanging over her bedside table, she sighed at the sight that greeted her.

Caitlin had always been a slim woman but the illness ate away at any meat she had on her; leaving her just bone. Her hips jutted out to the point it was almost painful if she tapped anything with them. Her ribs were in no better shape. She had sneezed one day and by the extreme amount of pain that flared up, the doctor deduced she had cracked three ribs.

As she eased herself down on the couch, sipping her coffee, she thought over to how the serum Julian had created had changed everything. True, she wasn't allowing her doppelganger to wreak havoc on the city she loved but at what cost? Her life? Sighing, it was a choice she had accepted.

Just then, there was a knock at her door and she looked up, brow furrowed. Who would be visiting her here? Who would even know to visit her here? Sitting on the couch, she debated waiting it out until the visitor left.

"I know you're in there, Caitlin Snow. I'm not leaving and we both know I have means of coming in without you opening the door. Don't make me utilize them," Barry said, and Caitlin's heart sank into her stomach. What on earth was Barry Allen doing here? Sighing, she got up and made her way to her door, tightening her sweater around her body, wincing at the pain that ignited in her ribs. Eventually, she unlocked the door.

"Thank God-Caitlin, what the hell?" Barry gasped, taking in her appearance. She knew she must look a little less than pleasant at the moment. Ignoring his horrified expression, she folded her arms across her chest.

"What are you doing here, Barry?" Caitlin demanded.

He frowned at her. "After leaving three months ago with no hint as to where you were going, you didn't honestly think I was going to let that slide, did you?"

Caitlin snorted, wincing when her ribs were jostled. "Barry, go home. Back to Iris. You shouldn't have to see me like this."

"Like what?" Barry enunciated each syllable slowly, and Caitlin breathed deeply through her nose, debating on how much to tell him. Finally, she decided on the truth.

"I'm sick."

XXX

After letting Barry in, the two friends found themselves sitting on her couch, drinking coffee. Well, Caitlin was drinking coffee; Barry was staring at her with such a deep sadness etched across his features it made her feel vulnerable. Tightening her sweater around her thin frame, she took another sip of coffee before clearing her throat.

"How's Iris?" Caitlin asked. Barry placed his hand on hers', squeezing gently.

"I'm not here to talk about that. I'm here to see what I can do to help," he said. Caitlin laughed humorlessly.

"Barry, I'm dying," she replied, watching as he winced. "Julian made the serum and it did this to me. I'm no longer Killer Frost but I'm no longer healthy, either."

"Isn't there anything we can do to reverse the effects?" Barry asked desperately, and Caitlin shook her head.

"No," she said simply. He frowned.

"It's almost as if you don't care that you're sick," he said slowly, and she shrugged.

"Why would I? Killer Frost is gone. It's what everyone wanted," she murmured.

"But at the cost of your life?" Barry asked incredulously.

"So what," Caitlin muttered, and Barry inhaled sharply, glaring at her.

"Never, under any circumstance, say that in front of me again," he growled, and Caitlin watched him.

"Go home, Barry. Be with your wife," she said softly, too tired to keep this conversation going.

"No," he replied stubbornly, and she sighed.

"Then, go check into a hotel or something. I'm due for a nap," she said simply, shooing him off the couch. She didn't wait around to watch him leave, instead choosing to succumb to her exhaustion.

XXX

A few hours later she woke up to the smell of food. Frowning sleepily, she made to get off the couch and investigate when someone cleared their throat.

"Don't get up, Cait," Barry said, walking into the living room with two plates that housed a couple of slices of pizza. She recognized them from the pizzeria down the road from her flat. She looked at Barry curiously.

"You may not care that you're sick, but I'm not giving up without a fight. So, eat," he said firmly. She rolled her eyes but accepted the pizza he handed her and took a bite. Food still tasted good to her, so at least there was that. As they ate, she thought over what it would be like when her time came. Sighing, she took another bite of pizza.

"How's Iris?" Caitlin asked for the third time, not wanting to get lost in the storm of her thoughts. It was Barry's turn to sigh.

"Uh, we called off the wedding," he muttered, and Caitlin looked at him in surprise.

"But…why?" Caitlin asked dumbly. Barry sighed as he rubbed a weary hand over his face.

"I became concerned when you disappeared without a trace. For the better part of the past three months, I became obsessed with finding you and bringing you home. As obsessed with the man in yellow, if not more," he muttered, and Caitlin furrowed her brow.

"Why would you let my leaving interfere with the love you have for Iris?" Caitlin asked, and Barry shot her a look.

"Don't pretend with me," he murmured. Suddenly, late nights at Star Labs, lingering touches, smiles that reached her eyes, all filled up Caitlin's mind.

"Barry…" she trailed off quietly, but he shook his head.

"It was always you. And now, we're going to fight like hell to get you healthy again," he said firmly. For once, she didn't want to brush off the fact that she was sick, didn't want to sweep it under the rug. She stared at him for a long moment.

"Alright," she murmured.

"Together?" Barry asked.

"Together," she replied, squeezing his hand. After all, that's how it had been since he woke up from his coma. With any luck, that's how it would be for many years to come.

Fin.

Author's note: Jesse, darling, for you! Got prompts to get to for both one shots and Abby and Me. Will get to them. Prompts accepted in the comments. Xxx


	105. Chapter 105

Caitlin knew she was avoiding Barry Allen. Avoidance was a critical part to her plan of not speaking to him as often as she could. For his part, Barry would try to start conversations with her if they were in the labs at the same time but she always came up with a reason to leave the room quickly. Tests to run. Coffee to grab. The list was endless.

One may ask why Caitlin Snow was determined to avoid an old friend and the answer was easy: she was in love with him. In return, he loved one Iris West. The dynamics were so complicated they were almost simple. And it left Caitlin with a dull ache in her heart. She knew her doppelganger had tried to convince her to talk to him; she left notes for her every time they had a mission but Caitlin was quick to dispose of them, not wishing for anyone else on the team to catch onto her feelings.

Just then, their meta alert blared, and Caitlin jerked herself into a standing position as Barry came spinning into view.

"Vibe, Frost, let's move," Barry commanded, already in his Flash attire. Caitlin could feel the tell-tale signs of Killer Frost swimming beneath her veins so focused on the opportunity to shift into her doppelganger. Soon enough, Caitlin was gone; Frost was in her place.

"What do we know, Flash?" Frost asked in a trilling voice, silver eyes staring at him.

"Robbery, Central City bank. The hostages are there in the dozens," he replied, and Frost nodded.

"That sounds like a job for you and me," she said, looking at Vibe.

"Took the words right out of my mouth, friend," Vibe smirked.

"Don't call me that," Frost chided, and he sighed.

"One day. One day you'll quit denying me friendship lovin'," he muttered, and Frost's lips almost quirked into a smile. Almost.

Instead, she looked at Vibe and just said, "let's go."

Once he had opened the breach and the three heroes had run through it, they were met with the chaotic display of a crime scene. Policemen were everywhere, following Joe's orders. The trio didn't hesitate in their attempt at getting in the building: game planning was never one of their fortes. After getting inside the bank, Barry tried to advise how best to approach the situation but, well, Frost had never been one to be benched on the sidelines. Raising her hands, she shot an icicle directly into the metahuman's leg, smirking in victory when he yelped.

"Got something in your leg, darling," Frost drawled, relishing in the way the man's eyes grew round at the sight of the three (maybe two – jury was still out on her status) superheroes.

"Just back off and let me get my money or I start hurting hostages!" The meta shouted.

"There's no need for anyone to get hurt," Flash began, but Frost didn't want him tiptoeing around the perpetrator as if he wasn't capable of causing serious harm. Well, Frost thought dryly, two can play that game. While Flash was busy trying to outsmart their meta, she was busy channeling all of her fury (and there was a lot; mainly for Caitlin), into her powers. When she had enough ice to use to her advantage, she glanced at Vibe, who gave a noncommittal shrug, and she grinned.

The ice shot from her hands and straight into their meta's shoulder, effectively pinning him to the wall. Flash hurried around then, putting power dampening cuffs on his wrists while he had his guard down, before he turned and looked at her.

"Not the best idea, but I'll take it," he grinned, and Frost just rolled her eyes. She was still mad at him for what he was putting her human through.

XXX

After the team got back to Star Labs, Barry flashed off into regular clothes and Frost got ready to transition back into Caitlin herself, when Barry cleared his throat.

"Uh, Frost? Can…can we talk?" Barry asked nervously, and she looked at him.

"About what?" Frost asked in a clipped tone.

"Uh, Caitlin," he said.

"I'm not discussing my human with you, Allen," she said, raising an eyebrow at him. He was persistent, however.

"But, I feel like I've done something. She's not talking to me, runs from me like the plague, and won't even look at me anymore. I-I was hoping you knew why that was?" Barry shifted around on the balls of his feet so anxiously that Frost almost took a little pity on him. Then, the image of Caity being sad every day invaded her mind and something inside her snapped.

"Yes, Allen," she hissed, "you have done something."

"What? What'd I do? Just tell me and I'll fix it," he promised earnestly.

"You think you can fix a broken heart?" Killer Frost snapped and watched in satisfaction as his eyes grew round.

"W-what?" Barry whispered.

"Oh, Allen, grow up," she laughed mirthlessly. "Caity likes you. A lot. I'd even go as far as saying she might love you. But you're too busy worshipping the ground Iris West walks on to even notice what was staring you in the face all along. Caitlin's a smart woman; she won't wait forever for someone who doesn't reciprocate her feelings."

"I never said I didn't," Barry mumbled, staring down from what she was sure was her harsh gaze.

"Then act like it. After everything you two have been through, don't you think you owe it to her to at least explore what could possibly be one of the greatest things to ever happen to you two?" Frost asked.

Barry bit his lip, pondering his answer, but she didn't give him time to express it.

"And, don't you dare give her a chance because you want her to be Iris's sloppy seconds. Caitlin deserves more than that. If, and remember, I'm the most in tune with her, I find out you hurt her the way Iris has hurt you, I'll end you," she warned.

There was a soft smile tugging at his lips. "I wouldn't dream of it. Now, bring her back so we can finally talk."

Frost nodded and got ready to walk off but, was stopped by him once more.

"Oh, and Frost?"

"Hmm?"

"Thank you for knocking sense into me."

"Anytime, Allen."

Fin.

Author's note: Prompts accepted in the comments. This was from Archive of our Own. I am trying to get to the oldest first. Then onto Abby and Me. And my other stories. And, I'm dealing with a lot of anxiety right now so please bare-with me. Thanks, lovelies. Xxx


	106. Chapter 106

Caitlin stared at Cisco as he explained the mechanisms of Sally of the Satellite, trying to absorb the information he was divulging. However, her attention was elsewhere. Was her dad okay? Did she want to see him after all these years? Her mind was a whirl pool of what ifs; her stomach a constant display of knots. Now that she knew her dad was alive and looking for her, she wasn't sure if she was ready to see hm. And that startingly realization left her feeling like scum of the earth.

By the time Caitlin pulled herself out of her thoughts, members of the team were dispersing, getting ready to go track down any potential leads on Cicada. Caitlin felt funny, not knowing what to do with herself. Cisco creeped up to her as did Barry.

"So, Snow Patrol, where's your head?" Cisco asked, a mischievous glint in his eye; a tell-tale sign that he was up to something.'

"Given that the three of us are left behind for the next few hours with nothing to do tells me something is up," Caitlin commented, quirking an eyebrow at her best friend.

"We're going to find your dad, if you're ready," Barry said quietly. Caitlin studied him for a moment, thinking about what it was that she wanted. What she truly wanted. The answer was obvious.

"Where is he?"

XXX

The warehouse was as cold on the inside as the harsh winter was on the outside. Bundling her jacket tighter around her, Caitlin watched as her breath came out in icy puffs. Eyes trailing the room, she felt that the warehouse looked rather like a place a mad scientist would reside. The three friends stayed close to one another and Caitlin felt Barry's arm brushing hers' periodically, sending a shiver down her spine that had nothing to do with the below freezing temperature.

Her and Barry had always skirted around the subject of what they could be, instead choosing to focus on what they are. When Barry had called off his wedding the prior year, Caitlin had worked to be the support he desperately needed, but she was busy trying to fill the void that appeared when Killer Frost was ripped from her. Now, weeks later, she didn't know what to do that would help either of them.

Just then, a soft voice called out that had Caitlin gasping. She glanced up, tears brimming her eyes.

"Dad?"

XXX

Having her dad back was like living in a different reality. She never thought it would be a possibility to be given a minute more with her dad, let alone what seemed to be longer. She was in a frenzied rush by the time the group got back to Star Labs. She needed to run tests, to check and see how her father's body was functioning; she wanted to spend the whole day with him, relearning everything there was to learn about him; mostly, she wanted to just tell him how much she missed him.

"Cait, why don't you two take a walk? Get to reconnect? The tests can wait," Barry murmured, touching her arm briefly. She thought about it before sending him a grateful smile.

"Dad? How about a walk?" Caitlin asked. Her dad nodded, and they left, Caitlin not having the opportunity to spot the look of displeasure crossing Cisco's features.

XXX

As Caitlin and her dad walked the quiet streets of her home, Caitlin found herself reveling in the feeling of just being able to see his smile again. Her dad, whom she had thought was gone from her life forever, was standing before her, taking in everything he had missed the past two decades. Catlin knew he must be overwhelmed, but he was holding himself together admirably.

As he was talking about her mother, Caitlin found herself getting frustrated at the fact that he wanted to defend her.

"Dad, it's Mom's fault you lived in that warehouse for the last twenty years, locked away from proper civilization," she exclaimed passionately.

"Caitlin, your mother is not a b-ba-bad p-," her father stammered out. Caitlin furrowed her brow as she watched him gasp for air.

"Dad? Dad! Take a seat," she hurried to guide him to the bench but before she could get him seated, he collapsed, and it was all Caitlin could do to hold him up.

XXX

Getting her father back to Star Labs had been a chore. She called Barry who immediately showed up.

"Caitlin?" Barry asked, looking at the way she was holding her father up.

"I-I don't know what happened. One minute we were talking about my mom, that next he was collapsing," she explained, staring at her dad. "You have to help me get him back to Star Labs. Please, Barry, please."

She felt tears smarting her eyes and blinked them back fiercely. Now was not the time to lose her composure. Barry squeezed her shoulder comfortingly.

"I will, Cait," he promised quickly. After a little adjusting, Barry had a secure grip on her dad and they were gone, Caitlin only waiting a few moments before Barry returned for her.

XXX

"Caity, thank you," her dad said. "You're going above the call."

"Anything, Dad. You're my dad," she murmured, staring at his genetic sequence. She ran through a mental list of everything she'd have to do to prepare the serum for her father.

"But he's not your dad," Cisco said, walking into the room. Caitlin looked up in surprise.

"Cisco?" Caitlin asked in confusion.

"I went back to the warehouse and vibed some things. Turns out he was dealing with these," Cisco said, bringing his palms up to Caitlin's eye level. When she continued to frown, he shook his hands.

"Look," he said pointedly.

"I see them. Skin grafts. What does this have to do with my dad?" Caitlin demanded.

"Think about it, Caitlin. Why would your dad need skin grafts?" Cisco asked, but she merely shrugged.

"Think about it," he implored, and suddenly several things fell into place for Caitlin and she narrowed her eyes.

"If you think this has something to do with my dad having a doppelganger, you can leave," she dismissed him.

"But, Caitlin," Cisco protested.

"Now!" Caitlin exclaimed, and, after sending a glare to Thomas, Cisco stormed out of the labs, with Barry saying he'd take care of it. Caitlin was left to wonder why her best friend was acting against her and her dad.

XXX

When Barry came back half an hour later, Caitlin had almost had the serum completed.

"If you're here to make me see reason for Cisco's behavior, don't," Caitlin murmured. He didn't reply, and she found herself looking up at him.

Sighing, she placed the serum down. "Not you, too."

Barry walked towards her. "I mean, how much do we really know about this guy, Cait? Cisco is right: there are holes in your dad's story."

"Barry, come on," Caitlin muttered.

"I'm just asking you to think about it," he said.

"Please," she whispered.

He moved towards her, reaching out a hand and gently laying it on her forearm.

"What's got you so bent against at least considering the alternative?" Barry asked softly.

The first tear fell without her permission. "Because he's my dad. I spent the last twenty years thinking he was dead. You know I have a fractured relationship with my mom. When Killer Frost was taken from me, I wasn't sure how I was supposed to heal from that. He's the only family I have. There can't be an alternative."

Barry brushed away the second tear that fell, shaking his head.

"That's not true, Caitlin. You have a family with us. With me," he said gently, and she looked at him. "You always will. We – I care about you. All I'm asking is that you at least consider the possibility."

Caitlin bit her lip, thinking about it, before sighing. "Okay. But after I give him the serum."

Barry nodded, and she went back to work, thinking about all the things her and her dad could do now that she was going to help him get healthy again. She slowed her movements.

"Oh my god," she whispered.

"What?" Barry asked softly.

"Barry, if I give my dad this serum, it'll take away his humanity altogether," she uttered.

"Something the doppelganger is hoping to happen," Barry carried on, and Caitlin was soon moving into the labs.

XXX

"Caitlin, honey? Caitlin, wake up," Caitlin heard a voice pulling her back to consciousness and her eyes opened. Gasping, she attempted to sit up, but Barry and Cisco eased her up slowly.

"Easy," Barry said softly.

"Where's my dad?" Caitlin asked.

"Gone," Cisco muttered, and Caitlin's eyes closed on their own volition as she groaned.

"We have to stop him," she muttered, and Barry squeezed her hand.

"We will," he assured her. They hurried into the labs when Iris called them, Caitlin getting her bearings back as she did so.

After finding the location of where her dad's doppelganger was, everyone suited up and left. Caitlin, unsure of what she would find, hoped and prayed for the best possible outcome.

XXX

Cisco, Barry, XS, and Ralph had all gone down. Caitlin was still standing. How, she had no clue.

"Caitlin, you're immune," came Sherloque's voice. "Killer Frost is still inside of you."

"It's m-mental, Cait. You're b-blocking h-her out m-mentally," Barry stuttered. Caitlin had never felt so afraid in her life. If she didn't get control of the situation, her team….her family was going to die. Barry was going to die. It was that final thought that broke her free of her paralysis.

"I don't think so," Killer Frost hissed, eyes shifting to their icy glow. She shot ice at Thomas's doppelganger, catching him by surprise.

"Daughter! You've returned!" He exclaimed.

"I'm not your daughter. You're not my family," Frost hissed. "They are. These people cared about me and Caity long before you did. You only wanted me for a serum." With that, she slammed the heel of her boot-clad foot onto the vial, crushing it to pieces. The doppelganger cried out but that didn't deter Killer Frost; she kept shooting ice at him, hoping to catch him off guard. When he dropped, and Thomas, the real Thomas, broke through, Caitlin came back, too. Then, she was flying as she was flung backwards, and the doppelganger was gone.

Slowly, the other members of the team regained their heat and stood up, circling around Killer Frost.

"Our dad came back, for a moment, and we lost him," she murmured.

Barry nodded as he placed a hand on her arm gently. "But you're not alone, not anymore. I really missed you."

Killer Frost smiled.

"Thanks, Flash," she murmured.

"Bring Caitlin back."

A quick nod, and Caitlin was back in front of them. "I know now that I'm not alone, either."

"And, you never will be," Barry promised. Not caring who was watching, Caitlin brushed her lips across his, deciding to hell with dancing around one another.

"What do you think about getting out of here and in front of a fire?" Caitlin asked softly. Barry grinned, brushing his lips across her forehead.

"I say, lead the way, Ms. Snow," he replied softly.

Fin.

Author's note: Prompts accepted in comments.


	107. Chapter 107

Caitlin leaned cautiously over Barry's shoulder, encouraging him gently.

"Nearly there, Barry," she said softly, watching as he meticulously tried to straighten out the pies he had attempted to make. It was of absolutely no use, of course.

"Admit it. They're doomed," Barry sighed glumly, and Caitlin tried her best not to laugh.

"No one said they'd be a piece of cake," she replied, and he snorted.

"Someone's got dad jokes," he sing-songed.

"For days," she laughed, bumping her shoulder with his. She quickly pushed back the two pies, making room for new crusts and fillings.

"Why don't you go see if you can set up something else in the dining room and I'll work on these?" Caitlin queried, and he nodded.

"Oh, wait," Caitlin murmured, eyes flashing. "An extra seat needs to be added. Killer Frost just rsvp'd," she said happily. Barry stared at her.

"Like, she just rsvp'd now?" Barry asked. "Without the technology?"

"Yeah," Caitlin smiled. "It's the first time we've been able to communicate without it so I'm taking it as progress."

Barry grinned. "It definitely is, Cait."

XXX

Four pies later and Caitlin was wiping the back of her hand across her forehead, tired. She had spent the majority of the day on her feet, in heels, and she was ready for a breather. True, the meal wasn't until the next day, but Caitlin and Barry had been working hard all day long to bring the final touches together. She needed the company while still learning to reacquaint herself with Killer Frost and he needed the company because he didn't know what to do with himself when he wasn't in a relationship.

Patty and Iris had been somewhat back to back and Caitlin wasn't sure if he even knew how to be single. But, she was proud of him. He was holding it together admirably. Just then, he walked into the kitchen.

"Got all of the places set up," he said.

"Inclu-?" Caitlin started to ask, but he finished her question.

"-ding Killer Frost, if she shows up," he grinned. Caitlin smiled warmly.

"Thanks, Barry," she murmured. She dusted her hands off on her apron.

"These bad boys are done and just need to be baked tomorrow morning," she said, and Barry looked at her, slightly horrified.

"What if I set the house on fire?" Barry asked, and she quirked an eyebrow, eyes twinkling.

"You mean like the time you almost did that when you invited Cisco and I over for dinner after you woke up from your coma?" Caitlin teased.

"I wanted to do something nice for two new friends!" Barry protested, and Caitlin snorted.

"Barry, we nearly had to call the fire dept AND ended up ordering in copious amounts of food, all the while leaving every window in the house open to rid the place of the smell of burnt spaghetti. Seriously, who burns spaghetti?" Caitlin asked incredulously.

"How was I supposed to know you were supposed to stir the noodles every so often?" Barry challenged.

"I hear reading the instructions is a good place to start learning something new," she deadpanned, and Barry huffed out a laugh.

"Fine, fine. You win," he sighed.

"Thank you."

"Feel up to a glass of wine?" Barry asked, and Caitlin nodded.

"Yes, please," she said. He poured them both a glass and they took a seat on the couch. Caitlin sighed contentedly.

"It feels good to sit down," she murmured.

"I know what you mean. I was up most of the day but you had it worse. Your were in heels," he cringed, and Caitlin laughed at his expression.

"The horror," she teased. He rolled his eyes fondly. They fell silent, each busy with their own thoughts and taking occasional sips of their wine.

"Hey, Cait?" Barry asked suddenly.

"Hmm?" Caitlin hummed, eyes closed, body relaxed.

"What's your favorite Thanksgiving memory with your dad?" Barry asked softly, and Caitlin opened her eyes, thinking about it. She didn't have to search hard before a soft smile tugged at her lips.

"I was five. He had gotten up early the day before Thanksgiving to go to the grocery store. I don't know how many stores he had to search through until he finally found what he was looking for," she said.

"And, what was that?" Barry asked.

"Turkey shaped cutters for pancakes," she replied.

"Turkey -?" Barry asked.

"- shaped cutters, yes," Caitlin laughed. "My dad was always trying to think of festive creativities for the holidays."

"Your dad sounds like a great guy," Barry murmured.

"He was. I think you would have really liked him if you got to have met him and not some evil doppelganger," she muttered.

"I know I would have," he said softly, squeezing her shoulder.

She took another sip of wine as she let her memories carry her to happier times with her dad. When he was healthy and whole; when he was still him.

"We're going to get your dad back, Caitlin," Barry said.

"You can't know that," Caitlin replied quietly, eyes reflecting the fire.

"Hey, listen to me," Barry said, turning his body to face her. She looked at him.

"You can't give up hope that he's going to come back. Thomas, the real Thomas, is still there, fighting to break free. We're going to get him back," he promised.

"How can you be so sure?" Caitlin asked, eyes flickering over every inch of his face.

"Because, we got you back. And, look at you now. Friends with your doppelganger," he grinned. It was infectious.

"Something tells me if we do get my dad out, he won't want to be friends with his," she said, tone lighter.

"No, probably not, but that doesn't mean we're going to give up on fighting for him," Barry promised, and she nodded.

"Thank you," she breathed. Barry brushed his lips against her forehead, hesitant and gentle; a touch that spoke where words could not. A touch that promised brighter tomorrows. He left them there for a moment before pulling back and pulling her down onto his chest; she propped her head on his shoulder, going back to staring at the fire.

"Any time, Cait."

Author's note: Hope you all had a lovely holiday. Prompts accepted in the comments. Have some to get to. Xxx


End file.
